515 




Class _ 
Book 




COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



PARLIAMENTARY 
PROCEDURE 



FOB 



Deliberative Assemblies 



By Orso^ B. Felt, Chicago. 



"ith Pbopek Forms fob Disposing of Pabiia- 
mentaby inquiries, points of 
Okdeb, Appeals, etc. 



ALSO- 



Practical Wessons on Stating The Question, 
Putting to Vote and Declaring 

the Result, , 

chioa^o : •«• <,- ; '..: '. „\ : 

GEO. K. HAZLITT *? CO., PRINTERS 
1903 



\ 



T.r 



s 



rss 



TTTEX 



i 



©©NGRESS. 
Two Cop<es Received 

MAY. 8 W 

ft/La*,, ff - / «T * v 
CLASS CL/XXe- *°- 

COPY B. 



lUI I HHI-W 



COPYRIGHTED, IQ02, BY ORSON B. FELT- 



< < 
< < 
< 



< « 
t 



e c 

< « * 

< c < I 



( 



< < < ' 

. J 

. < l 



c 

( 
( I ( 



, , < , • t • • 

t c * • 

C • • •* * 

• • • * 

c « • • • • 



( ( 
( 
, c 



( < 

I I 

( 



■ • «« • 



I « 



X 



PREFACE. 

A book of reference, wherein each motion 
or principle of parliamentary procedure is 
described in a form at once compact and 
reliable, is a want -thafc has long been felt. 
To partially meet this want by giving a 
condensed and complete outline of the sub- 
ject, and to aid those who are not well in- 
formed, and do not wish to spare the time 
necessary to consult the many larger works 
of the kind, are the objects of this volume. 
Believing that few of the works published 
are practical for the use of beginners, and 
feeling the necessity for a book which is at 
once accurate and comprehensive, the au- 
thor, after many years of both careful 
study and close observation, and urged by 
a desire to present to the public a work that 
will relieve the student of the labor which a 
thorough examination of the many authori- 
ties on parliamentary law necessarily in- 
volves, offers this little volume. 

(3) 



4 PREFACE. 

In preparing this book such well-known 
authorities as Reed, Cushing, Robert, 
Crocker, Shattuck, and other kindred works 
have been consulted. These authorities have 
been carefully studied and compared, and, 
where they seem to conflict, preference 
has been given to those rules which seem 
most applicable and helpful to such assem- 
blies as are not legislative. 

While simplicity has been his chief aim, 
the author has endeavored to give a com- 
plete outline of the subject in as few words 
as possible, by omitting nothing which 
should be said and saying nothing which 
might be omitted, and to arrange and ex- 
plain each motion in so concise a manner 
that any person, whether informed or not 
upon parliamentary law, will, after a care- 
ful perusal of these pages, be competent to 
take an active part in the proceedings of 
any deliberative assembly, or be able to 
preside at a public meeting with the ease 
and dignity expected of a presiding officer. 

By explaining the reason for the rule, 
and by giving proper forms for presenting 






PREFACE. 5 

■ 

questions to the assembly, the author hopes 
to give the student information which will 
enable him to understand the basic princi- 
ples of parliamentary law. While giving 
forms for stating the question, putting to 
vote and declaring the result, the author 
does not assert that said forms are the best, 
but that they are good forms, which may be 
varied at the will of the chairman. 






That this handbook of present procedure 
may be to the student a friend in need, and 
as such receive a kindly welcome, is the 
desire of the author. 

O. B. F. 





PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE. 

PARLIAMENTARY RULES. 

i. The system of rules (practiced in 
deliberative assembles, known as parlia- 
mentary law) had its origin, and derives its 
name from the method of transacting busi- 
ness in the English Parliament. The sys- 
tem used in this country acknowledges as 
its source the rules for conducting business 
in the United States House of Representa- 
tives. The original rules and forms under 
either system have from time to time under- 
gone such marked changes as to be of little 
value, except as precedents, and, therefore, 
ill suited for general use. 

The rules of either system, although they 
have arisen at different times and under 
many circumstances, are neither capricious 
nor accidental, but are founded on reason 
and justice. With an understanding of the 
rational principles which underly these 

7) 



8 PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE. 

numerous rules, the student cannot fail to 
be convinced that the system is well adapted 
to the purpose of guiding deliberation. 

Parliamentary law is not firmly fixed, but 
is in continual process of development by 
acceptance of new usages which experience 
has shown to be desirable ; when such usages 
are generally recognized as good, by having 
received the approval of many deliberative 
asremblies, they take their place as a part 
of the system. When a rule has been gen- 
erally superceded by the adoption of another 
rule on the subject, the old rule ceases 
to be a part of the common law and the 
new rule takes its place. Therefore, the 
term " Parliamentary law" should be ap- 
plied only to those rules which are in pres- 
ent use, or have been generally adopted by 
deliberative assemblies. 

- While the rules adopted and used by the 
House of Representatives are recognized 
authority in legislative bodies of this coun- 
try, yet because it is so large a body, its 
business so complicated, and the supremacy 
of party so strong, its laws cannot always 



NEED OF RULES. 9 

be followed as a model. It is also unwise 
for an ordinary society to adopt the widely 
differing and constantly changing rules of 
the various state legislatures, since in all 
large assemblies the deliberating is usually 
done by committees. Then, too, because 
these rules are adapted to the peculiar wants 
of large bodies, and are often not suitable 
for ordinary assemblies, it follows that 
legislative rules should not be appealed to 
as governing ordinary assemblies in every 
matter of detail, but only in the absence of 
special rules or of an adopted authority are 
they of any force in other assemblies. 

NEED OF RULES. 

2. It is important that all deliberative 
assemblies should have certain rules for 
their government in debate and for direct- 
ing their method of transacting business, 
since without rules any large assembly 
might become unmanageable and therefore 
unable to accomplish its purpose. It is 
therefore necessary that any deliberative 
assembly, in order to be expeditious in its 
work, to command respect, and proceed 



IO NEED OF RULES. § 2 

with as little discord as possible, should 
adopt certain rules, and conduct its busi- 
ness with a regard for certain forms and 
rules of procedure in order that the will of 
the majority may be carried out with due 
regard to the rights of the minority, and 
that the will of the assembly be ascertained 
with as little delay as possible consistent 
with fair dealing. 

It is not of so much importance whose or 
what set of rules is adopted, as that the 
assembly recognize and govern itself by 
some rule or system in conducting its busi- 
ness so that there may be uniformity of pro- 
ceeding, decorum and regularity, and that 
the dignity of the body be preserved. It is 
therefore customary for societies to adopt 
some authority as a guide in its procedure. 
When such authority as adopted it should 
be closely adhered to in all cases to which it 
is applicable, and is not inconsistent with 
the organic law or special rules of the so- 
ciety. Any assembly may, however, modify 
the rules or make for its government special 
rules which supersede the adopted author- 
ity and common parliamentary usage in all 



§2 NEED OF RULES. II 

points to which they relate, and are binding 
on its members so long as in force, but have 
no force in any assembly except that which 
created them. If, however, the assembly 
or society be a branch of a superior body, 
or parent organization, it cannot make a 
rule which conflicts with the constitution, 
by-laws, or rules of the parent organization, 
since the constitution, by-laws, etc., form 
the organic law of the organization, and 
cannot be suspended by the subordinate 
body. When a society has such special 
rules, and an adopted authority, the order 
of precedence is as follows : 

1st. The organic law. 

2nd., The special rules. 

3rd. The adopted authority. 

4th. Parliamentary usage. 

The student should bear in mind that 
great care should be taken to keep the 
distinction clear between the organic law, 
special rules, and principles which are of 
general application, and adopted to meet 
the requirements of certain assemblies. In 
the absence of such special rules or adopted 
authority the common parliamentary usage 
governs. 



12 DEFINITION OF TERMS § 3 

DEFINITION OF TERMS. 

3. In the study of this volume much 
misunderstanding may be avoided if the 
reader will bear in mind the difference in 
meaning and use of the following terms : 

Motion. Qu'estion. Vote. A motion is the 
proposition submitted to the assembly. 
After it has been stated to the assembly by 
the presiding officer it becomes the ques- 
tion before the assembly — as it can then be 
answered by yea or nay. After it has been 
decided, it becomes the vote or expression 
of the will of the assembly. 

Precedence. A motion is said to have 
precedence over another when it has prior- 
ity in rank over that motion, and therefore 
may be brought before the assembly and be 
first put to vote when the motion of lower 
rank is pending. 

Assembly. By the assembly is meant 
that particular collection of members, as 
another meeting of the same society may 
be attended by other members, and would 
be regarded as another assembly. 



§ 4 TEMPORARY ORGANIZATION. 1 3 

Pending. Ordered. A proposition or 
motion is said to be pending after it has 
been stated to the assembly by the presiding 
officer, and until a vote has been taken on 
it, or until it has been at least temporarily 
disposed of. After the vote on the ques- 
tion is taken, if in the affirmative, it is then 
ordered. 

Yields to. When the pending motion 
may be forced to give way to another it is 
said to yield to that motion. - 

Applies to. One motion is said to apply to 
another when it may be used for the pur- 
pose of changing or disposing of it. 

Meeting. Session. For a distinction be- 
tween these terms see Sec. 29. 

TEMPORARY ORGANIZATION. 

4. Wherever a number of persons are 
assembled for the transaction of business 
the first business necessary is to organize 
by providing suitable officers, so that the 
assembly may conduct its business with dig- 



1 4 TEMPORARY ORGANIZATION. § 5 

ntiy, order and harmony. As there are so 
many kinds of societies, organized for a 
variety of purposes, it is impossible to give 
a rule for organization applicable to all 
cases. In determining the organization 
required, much depends upon the nature of 
the assembly. If the society be but a 
branch of a parent organization, the rules 
for the organization of such branches are 
usually set forth in the constitution or regu- 
lations, which form the fundamental or 
organic law of that order, and the society 
is necessarily governed by the constitution, 
by-laws and rules of said order. There- 
fore no rule for organization that could be 
given here would be applicable in such 
cases, except the general parliamentary 
rules governing the action of ordinary as- 
semblies. 

5. If the assembly is a mass meeting, or 
a meeting of citizens called for some par- 
ticular purpose, a simple or temporary or- 
ganization is all that is necessary. Since 
such temporary assemblies are usually called 
together for some temporary purpose and 
their members are not responsible to a con- 



§ 6 TEMPORARY ORGANIZATION. 1 5 

stituency and therefore need no credentials ; 
they transact the business for which they 
have assembled, and then adjourn, to meet 
at some future time, or dissolve by adjourn- 
ment without day. At such assemblies all 
who respond constitute the meeting, and 
shortly after the time set in the call for the 
meeting arrives, some person who has been 
instrumental in calling the meeting will rise, 
face the assembly, and say the meeting will 
please be in order. He may here state 
briefly the object for which the meeting has 
been called, and either nominate some per- 
son present for chairman, or call for nom- 
inations for chairman. 

6. While it is customary for some 
friend of the nominee to second the nomina- 
tion, such a nomination does not require to 
be seconded, for the reason that it is the 
inseparable right of any member to nomi- 
nate and to vote for one of his own choice, 
whether any one else coincides or not, and 
for the further reason that a nomination for 
office (unless by special rule of the assem- 
bly) is not an essential preliminary to vot- 
ing, because it cannot control. the right of 



l6 TEMPORARY ORGANIZATION. §7 

voting for one not nominated, and for the 
further reason that a majority of the votes 
cast (unless there is a by-law, rule, or con- 
stitutional provision which provides other- 
wise) always elects, whether the person so 
elected has been nominated or not. A 
second, however, especially when done with 
a speech, is supposed to add force or weight, 
particularly in large assemblies. If the 
nomination is made in the form of a mo- 
tion, for example, "I move that Mr. A. act 
as secr-etary," said motion should be treated 
as a nomination only by the chair saying, 
"Mr. A. is nominated. Are there any 
other nominations ?" Further nominations 
are not entitled to be first put to a vote, as in 
case of amendments. 

7. A motion to close nominations is in 
order after every member who so desires 
has had an opportunity to make his nomina- 
tion, but not until then. However, the clos- 
ing of nominations, while it prevents other 
nominations, does not preclude voting for 
persons not nominated, and, moreover, it is 
in order at any time between ballots to move 
to reopen the nominations. 



§ 8 TEMPORARY ORGANIZATION. 1 7 

Let us suppose that Mr. A. has been 
nominated for chairman. The member 
calling the meeting to order will say, "Mr. 
A. has been nominated for chairman. Are 
there any other nominations?" (After a 
short pause for other nominations) he will 
say : "As many as are in favor of Mr. A. 
for chairman say Aye. Those opposed 
No. If the ayes be in majority he will 
declare Mr. A. elected, and invite him to the 
chair. If the noes are in the majority he 
will say, "The noes have it ; there is no 
election. Nominations are again in or- 
der." 

8. If more than one name be placed in 
nomination the acting chairman should put 
the name he first hears, and if the vote be in 
the negative, the next name proposed, and 
so on until a choice is effected. 

After the chairman has been selected he 
takes the chair and proceeds to complete 
the organization by the election of a secre- 
tary and such other officers, if any, as are 
deemed necessary. These selections are 
usually made in the same manner as the 

2 



1 8 PERMANENT ORGANIZATION. § 9 

chairman, except that after the chairman 
has been elected he has the power of recog- 
nition in deciding who has the floor ; there- 
fore, when a member desires to make a 
nomination, motion, or to offer any business 
he must first obtain the floor. (See sec- 
tion 23.) 

In most cases this temporary organiza- 
tion is all that is necessary, and after it is 
effected the business for which the meeting 
has been called should be introduced by a 
resolution, or motion made by some member 
of the assembly. 

PERMANENT ORGANIZATION. 

9. If the society is to be a permanent 
one the presiding officer is usually called 
the president. A vice president is also 
elected, to. preside in the absence of the 
president; a secretary to keep a record of 
the doings of the society, and such other 
officers as are necessary to properly perform 
the duties required by the organization. In 
such cases immediately after the temporary 
organization, as described in section 5, has 






§ IO PERMANENT ORGANIZATION. 1 9 

been completed, a carefully selected commit- 
tee should be appointed to draft a constitu- 
tion, by-laws and rules. This should be 
presented at a full meeting of the society, 
and after amendment, if necessary, of the 
several sections, should be adopted as a 
whole. The constitution and by-laws, after 
adoption, constitute the organic law of the 
society, and must be strictly adhered to. 

10. The constitution should contain only 
such fundamental rules as the society will 
never need to suspend, to-wit : The name of 
the society; the purpose for which the so- 
ciety was organized ; eligibility to member- 
ship; the officers of the society; their du- 
ties ; how elected ; how vacancies may be 
filled, etc., and should be so carefully drawn 
as to avoid the necessity of frequent amend- 
ment. Such amendments should be made 
difficult by requiring that notice of any pro- 
posed amendment be submitted in writing 
at a regular meeting, also requiring previous , 
notice to all members of the proposed 
amendment at a certain meeting and by 
making a two-thirds vote necessary to carry 
such amendment. The constitution should be 



20 PERMANENT ORGANIZATION. § II 

adopted before the permanent officers are 
elected, and after such adoption an oppor- 
tunity should be given all to sign. This 
act makes them members of the society or 
organization, since only those who have 
fulfilled this requirement are members and 
allowed to vote. 

ii. The by-laws should contain nothing 
which conflicts, in any way, with the con- 
stitution, and may include such matters as 
initiation fee, dues, rules for the govern- 
ment of the society's affairs, number neces- 
sary to constitute a quorum, time and place 
of meeting, how special meetings may be 
called, business which may be transacted at 
such special meetings. Amending the by- 
laws should also be made difficult by plac- 
ing it out of the power of any one meeting 
to modify them by requiring previous notice ; 
also by making a two-thirds vote necessary 
for adoption. It should be remembered, how- 
ever, that while an amendment to the con- 
stitution or by-laws requires previous notice 
and a two-thirds vote, either the constitu- 
tion or the by-laws before adoption may be 
amended by a majority vote. 



§ 1 3 PERMANENT ORGANIZATION. 21 

12. Standing Rules should not conflict 
with either the constitution or by-laws, and 
may include such permanent rules as are of 
less importance than the by-laws, and are 
subject to the will of a majority at a regular 
meeting. They should be binding upon the 
society until rescinded; but may be sus- 
pended, modified, or rescinded at any regu- 
lar meeting by a majority vote. Societies 
usually prescribe methods for amending 
their constitution, by-laws and rules. When 
such methods are not provided, parliamen- 
tary law regulates such action. 

i3« In conventions or assemblies, whose 
members claim their seats by virtue of an 
election by their constituents, or by ap- 
pointment, or on the ground of conformity 
to some requirement, and the membership 
may not be known, or is in dispute, it be- 
comes necessary to know who are properly 
members of the assembly before a perma- 
nent organization can be effected, as it is 
evident they cannot fully organize until the 
question of membership is settled, since only 
members have the right to participate 
in the proceedings of the assembly. In 



22 PERMANENT ORGANIZATION. §14 

such cases it is customary to first effect a 
temporary organization by electing tempo- 
rary officers, as described in section 4. The 
chairman of such temporary organization 
then appoints a committee on credentials 
to' examine into and report upon the evi- 
dences of election, or the validity of the 
credentials, of those claiming seats as mem- 
bers. This committee will, after consulta- 
tion, report as to who are entitled to seats 
in the assembly, or the committee will re- 
port disputed cases with recommendations. 
These disputed cases will be decided by the* 
assembly. 

14- If a delegate's right to membership 
is questioned he is entitled to a hearing by 
the committee on credentials, or by the con- 
vention before the final vote is taken. Only 
those whose credentials are not disputed 
have a right to vote. After the member- 
ship has been decided, the assembly will, by 
vote, perfect the organization by making 
the temporary officers the permanent, or 
by electing permanent officers, or by ap- 
pointing a committee to nominate perman- 
ent officers, to be approved by the assembly. 



§ 1 5 DUTIES OF A PRESIDING OFFICER. 23 

As soon as the permanent officers are 
elected the temporary officers retire, the 
permanent officers taking their places and 
the assembly is fully organized for busi- 
ness. 

DUTIES OF A PRESIDING OFFICER. 

15. It is the duty of the presiding offi- 
cer of an assembly to call the meeting to 
order promptly at the proper time, ascer- 
tain if a quorum (45) is present, announce 
the business in its order before the assem- 
■ bly, receive and submit all motions or busi- 
ness regularly presented by the members, 
put to vote and announce the result on all 
questions before the assembly, and conduct 
the proceedings in accordance with parlia- 
mentary procedure and its own rules. 
While being careful not to be too strict, he 
should require that the rules of the society 
be complied with; that all debate be con- 
fined to the question before the assembly 
and he should be ready at all times to in- 
terfere for the preservation of order. 

i6 # As the order and decorum of an as- 
sembly often depends more upon the con- 



24 DUTIES OF A PRESIDING OFFICER. §17 

duct of the presiding officer than upon any 
other condition, it therefore follows that 
in order to have perfect control of the as- 
sembly he should be able to control him- 
self, pay strict attention to all debate, be 
ready to answer all parliamentary inquiries 
and to explain the parliamentary effect of 
proposed acts of the assembly. Remem- 
bering always that he is not the autocrat, 
but the servant of the assembly, subject al- 
ways to its control, and he should be ready 
at all times to obey its commands, since if 
he abuses his authority the assembly has 
power to censure, reprimand or, (unless the 
term of office be fixed by higher authority) 
to remove him from office for violation of 
the rules or for misconduct while in office. 

17. When a motion has been made and 
seconded it is the duty of the presiding of- 
ficer (if the motion is in order) to state 
the question so that the members may 
know what question is before them. The 
question should be stated in the form in 
which it will appear in the minutes (21) 
if it passes in the affirmative. The chair 
should state the motion in language as near 




§ Ip DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY. 25 

to the original as possible ; he may, how- 
ever, suggest any necessary correction in 
its wording before stating it to the assem- 
bly. 

18. While the presiding officer unques- 
tionably has the right to participate in de- 
bate (after first calling a member to the 
chair) he should rarely exercise that right, 
because by virtue of his position he has 
great power over the assembly and great 
influence in debate, and when he takes the 
floor he cannot divest himself of that power 
or influence. Therefore, after having taken 
part in debate, common courtesy to the as- 
sembly requires that he do not resume the 
chair until the question to which he has 
spoken is disposed of. 

DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY. 

19. It is the duty of the secretary to keep 
a correct record of the proceedings of the 
assembly. The character of this record de- 
pends upon the kind of meeting and upon 
the nature of the society. In ordinary so- 
cieties where the minutes are not published 



26 DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY. § 20 

it is only necessary that he record. what is 
done — what business is introduced and how 
it is disposed of. It is often as important 
to know what measures were introduced 
and rejected as what ones were adopted. 
What is said by the members or merely 
proposed, or moved without coming to a 
vote, has no place in the record. There are, 
however, assemblies in which it is neces- 
sary to know what is said as well as what 
is done. In such assemblies where the du- 
ties of the secretary are difficult, he should 
have one or more assistants. When more 
than one secretary is elected the one first 
elected is considered the secretary, the 
others his assistants. 

20. In the absence of the presiding of- 
ficer (if there be no vice presidents pres- 
ent) it is the duty of the secretary to call 
the meeting to order, state the fact of the 
presiding officer's absence, call for nomina- 4 
tions and preside at the election of a tem- 
porary presiding officer. He should be at- 
tentive to his duties, capable of expressing 
himself accurately in writing, be a good 
reader with a voice strong enough to be 



§21 MINUTES. 27 

heard in all parts of the place of meeting. 
He should have charge of all papers and 
documents of every description belonging 
to the assembly and not otherwise assigned. 
He should notify members of their appoint- 
ment on committees ; also of the purpose 
of their appointment, and give to> the 
chairman of such committee the names of 
the members of the committee and all pa- 
pers, if any, referred to it. He should keep 
for the convenience of the presiding officer 
a record of all committees which are ex- 
pected to report, and of the time when such 
report is due ; also of all unfinished busi- 
ness which should come up before that 
meeting. He should generally attend to all 
the clerical work of the presiding officer and 
authenticate by his signature all the acts or 
proceedings of the assembly. 

MINUTES. 

21. The minutes are the record of the 
doings of the assembly, as noted by the 
clerk or secretary, and ought to be ap- 
proved or corrected, if necessary, at the 
next succeeding meeting. If the adjourn- 



28 MINUTES. § 22 

ment is without day, or if the next meet- 
ing will not occur for a long time, it is cus- 
tomary to have the minutes read for cor- 
rection and approved before adjournment 
in order that the report may be corrected 
if necessary, while the transactions are 
fresh in the memory of the members. 

Such corrections before approval should 
be only for the purpose of correcting errors 
of the secretary, and not for changing or 
attempting in any way to alter the record 
of the action of that meeting. Since the 
record is the legal evidence of the proceed- 
ings of the society it should be a correct 
transcript of what was done, no matter 
how objectionable. 

If, however, it is found that an error has 
been made in the record it is in order at 
any time to correct it, even after approval, 
for there is no limit of time for such a cor- 
rection. 

22. If the society at a previous meeting 
had taken action which is found to be un- 
wise or inexpedient the assembly should 



§ 23 HOW TO OBTAIN THE FLOOR. 29 

not expunge from the minutes the record 
of such action. It may, however, take 
steps toward rescinding or repealing, since 
if an error has been committed it may be 
rectified by another act, but the record 
should not be falsified by striking out busi- 
ness that actually occurred, or by insert- 
ing business that did not occur. There- 
fore, if the assembly wishes to annul some 
action -previously taken the proper course 
to pursue is to rescind the objectionable 
act. If, however, any improper motion has 
been made or improper or indecorous lan- 
guage used the assembly may at once order 
such motion or words expunged from the 
minutes. ^- 

HOW TO OBTAIN THE FLOOR. 

23. Whenever a member desires to in- 
troduce any business or to speak to the 
question before the assembly, it is neces- 
sary to first obtain the floor. In order to do 
this he rises in his place and addresses the 
presiding officer by his official title, as "Mr. 
Chairman/' or "Mr. President/' and awaits 
recognition. When offering a motion or 



30 HOW TO OBTAIN THE FLOOR. § 24 

when desiring the floor for any purpose the 
speaker, after addressing the chair, should 
remain standing and silent until recognized 
by the chair. This recognition is shown by 
the chairman calling the name of the mem- 
ber, or by some sign of recognition, which 
signifies to the assembly who has the floor. 
(For exceptions see Sec. 79). If more than 
one member asks the floor at the same time, 
upon the chair's decision as to which is en- 
titled to* the floor, all others should be 
seated and await another opportunity. If, 
however, any member considers himself 
aggrieved by the decision it is his privilege 
to- appeal (124) to the assembly. 

24. Upon recognition by the chairman 
the member is entitled to- the floor and 
states his proposition, business or motion, 
which must be reduced to writing, if re- 
quested by the chairman. Until the mem- 
ber has the floor the introduction of any 
business is not in order. After the member 
has the floor he cannot be interrupted by 
calls for the question, or by a motion to 
adjourn, or for any purpose by either the 
chairman or any member, so long as he 



§ 25 SECONDING A MOTION* 3 1 

keeps within the rules of the assembly, ex- 
cept to have entered on the minutes a mo- 
tion to reconsider (135), by a call to order 
(32), by an objection to the consideration 
of the question (126), by a call for the 
orders of the day (^89), or by a question of 
privilege requiring immediate action (87). 



SECONDING A MOTION. 

25. After a motion has been made it 
should have the support of another mem- 
ber (to assure the assembly it has more 
than one supporter, and is worthy of con- 
sideration), who rises in his place and 
without waiting for recognition says : "I 
second the motion." There are many rea- 
sons why a member should rise in second- 
ing a motion. Among these reasons may 
be mentioned that it bars a non-member 

*Note. — Some writers hold that a speaker cannot 
be interrupted by call "call for the orders," but this 
ruling is not generally accepted at present, because 
the member speaking might defeat the orders by 
prolonging his speech until adjournment, and de- 
clining to yield the floor, except for a motion to 
adjourn. 



22 SECONDING A MOTION. 8 26 

from seconding a motion, and also where a 
record is kept of those who second as well 
as of those who make motions, it enables 
the secretary to see who seconds the mo- 
tion. 

26. In many assemblies too much im- 
portance is placed on the formality of sec- 
onding motions. This is contrary to- the 
principle that every member has a right to 
introduce any proper business and have it 
acted upon by the assembly. Furthermore, 
if the presiding officer is a member of the 
assembly, he has a right to second it, and if 
the motion is put without a second he is un- 
derstood to second it. If, however, a 
formal second is insisted upon, the chair 
may inquire if the motion is seconded be- 
fore stating it to the assembly, but it is not 
his duty to inquire if the motion is sec- 
onded. However, if a second is insisted 
upon, the motion is not before the assembly 
for consideration or debate until it has been 
seconded and stated to the assembly by the 
presiding officer. Until that time no mem- 
ber has a right to make any motion in rela- 
tion to it, or debate it, or to ask the floor for 



:X 



§ 27 MAIN QUESTION. 33 

either purpose. Until the presiding officer 
has stated it to the assembly, the member 
offering the motion may modify it, or, with 
the consent of the seconder, he may even 
withdraw it entirely. When the mover 
modifies his motion, the member who sec- 
onded it may withdraw his second. On 
the other hand, after it has been stated by 
the chair, the question is in the possession 
of the assembly to adopt, postpone, modify, 
reject or suppress according to its pleasure, 
and cannot be withdrawn except by unani- 
mous consent of the assembly, or by a mo- 
tion and vote granting leave to withdraw 
(37), nor can it be modified except by 
unanimous consent, or by the regular pro- 
cess of amendment (106). The proposi- 
tion thus before the assembly is called the 
"main or principal question. " 



MAIN QUESTION. 

27- The main or principal question is 
any particular subject brought before the 
assembly for its consideration. It takes 
precedence of nothing except another prin- 
cipal question, and therefore cannot be in- 



34 MAIN QUESTION. § 28 

troduced when any question is before the 
assembly. In order to insure correctness 
in stating, and to prevent a misunderstand- 
ing of a complicated motion, the mover of 
any principal motion or resolution must (if 
requested by the presiding officer) submit 
it in writing. It requires to be seconded 
(for exceptions see Sec. 76), and is not be- 
fore the assembly for debate until it has 
been stated by the chair. 

By parliamentary courtesy the member 
upon whose motion a subject is brought 
before the assembly is first given the floor. 
In case of the report of a committee this 
courtesy is extended to the member who 
presents the report. 

28. If a principal motion be indefinitely 
postponed (122), or rejected, it cannot be 
brought up again at that session, except by 
a motion to reconsider (135) the vote by 
which it was postponed or rejected; this 
rule applies also to the equivalent of, or to 
the negative of that motion.* But, inas- 
much, as one assembly cannot dictate to or 

*See also equivalent motions (71). 



\ 



-v 



8 29 MEETING AND SESSION. 35 

control the action of another assembly, the 
same question may be again brought up at 
any succeeding session. 

Whenever a question has been postponed 
on motion to a certain day, or hour ( 102), it 
becomes on that day or that hour one of the 
orders of the day (89). 

MEETING AND SESSION. 

29. A meeting is the coming together or 
assembling of the members of a society, or 
body, and covers only the time between the 
calling to order and an adjournment. If 
the adjournment is to a fixed time before 
the next regular session, the second meet- 
ing will be another meeting of the same 
session : since any meeting which is not 
an adjournment of another meeting begins 
a new session. 

30. A session is the time, period, or , 
term during which an assembly meets for 
the transaction of its business, and includes 
all the time between the first calling to 
order and the final adjournment. 



36 MEETING AND SESSION. §31 

This is illustrated either by a session of 
Parliament, which is opened by a speech 
from the throne and, after many meetings, 
is closed by prorogation, or by a session of 
Congress, which includes many meetings. 

In the case of a permanent society hold- 
ing regular meetings at stated times, as 
weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly, each 
meeting should be regarded as a separate 
session unless the adjournment be to a 
fixed time before the next regular session. 

3*« Special meetings are those called by 
the officers or members of a society, — 
through proper notice to each member in 
some regular way as set forth in the by- 
laws or by rule of the organization, — for 
the transaction of some special business. 
The rules for calling special meetings 
should be strictly enforced. The object of 
the meeting should be specified in the call 
convening the meeting and should be so 
guarded that no business can be legally 
transacted at said special meeting except 
such as is germane to tbe business specified 
in the call. If, however, all the members 



\ 



32 POINTS OF ORDER. 37 

of the society are present at a special meet- 
ing, other business than that specified in 
the call may be legally transacted, if there 
is no objection. 

POINTS OF ORDER. 

32. Every member of an assembly has 
the right to require that the business of the 
assembly be transacted in order, in accord- 
ance with parliamentary usage and its own 
rules. Therefore, when any rule of the 
assembly or of parliamentary law is vio- 
lated, or when any member is not speaking 
to the question, or is guilty of indecorum 
in debate, or, in fact, whenever the pro- 
cedure varies from the regular order, the 
means provided for adjusting such irregu- 
larity or correcting mistakes in the method 
of procedure is to rise to a point of order. 
The raising of the point suspends proceed- 
ings until the question of order is decided. 

A question of order (provided it is made 
at once) takes precedence over all other 
business, except questions of privilege (87) ; 
delay in making the point renders it inad- 



38 POINTS OF OHDER. § 33 

missible; if, however, there was confusion 
in the assembly so that the member desir- 
ing to raise the question could not be heard, 
the fact that he had risen and endeavored 
to secure recognition saves all rights. 

33* The form is, "Mr. Chairman, I rise 
to a point of order/ 3 The speaker, if any, 
should remain silent until the point of or- 
der is decided. (*Note to 34.) The mem- 
ber making the point is then asked by the 
chair to state his point of order, which he 
does. After the member states his point, 
the chair, with or without debate (at the 
option of the chair), decides whether the 
point is, or is not, well taken. This deci- 
sion is subject to an appeal to the assem- 
bly. The chair is not compelled to give 
the reason for his decision, but he may do 
so to satisfy the member or the assembly. 

*Note — Some authorities hold that the speaker, 
if any, should be seated; but as this would be 
practically yielding the floor before the decision 
of the chair^ and might be so construed by the 
chairman and members, it is deemed sufficient if 
the member remains standing and silent until the 
point is decided. 



V 



§ 35 PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY. 39 

34. A point of order should not be 
raised until the question is fully before the 
assembly, i. e., until it has been stated by 
the presiding officer, since it is the presid- 
ing officer's first privilege to rule it out of 
order, but if he fails to do so any member 
may even interrupt a speaker to make the 
point. After the point of order is raised 
it is not amendable or debatable. If, how- 
ever, the chair is ,in doubt he may ask the 
advice of members before .deciding the 
point (this advice should not partake of 
the nature of debate) and the chair may at 
any time put an end to the discussion by 
rendering his decision; or, if the chair is 
unwilling to assume the responsibility of 
the decision, he may at once submit it to 
a vote of the assembly. But if an appeal 
(124) from the decision of the chair on a 
point of order is taken the merits of the 
point of order may be fully debated under 
the appeal. (See, also, 95b.) 

PARLIAMENTARY INOUIRY. 

35* If at any time a member is in doubt 
as to whether a rule of the assembly or of 



40 PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY. § 35 

parliamentary law is violated, or if he 
wants information as to the parliamentary 
effect of any question before the assembly, 
or to a motion which he desires to bring 
up for consideration, or if he is in doubt 
as to the proper form relative to some busi- 
ness before the assembly, he may rise to a 
parliamentary inquiry for the purpose of 
information, or to secure a ruling of the 
chair on the subject. 

Parliamentary inquiries are of the nature 
of privileged questions, and may even in- 
terrupt a highly privileged question if re- 
quiring immediate action; they rank with 
points of order, questions of privilege, 
questions of consideration, etc., inasmuch 
as they do not require to be seconded and 
the member making the inquiry does not 
wait for recognition before stating his ob- 
ject in rising. They should not interrupt 
a member speaking unless they refer to a 
matter requiring immediate action. When 
a speaker is so interrupted he retains his 
right to the floor, after the inquiry is 
answered. 



§ 37 WITHDRAWAL OF A MOTION. 4 1 

36, The form is, "Mr. Chairman, I rise 
to a parliamentary inquiry." The chair 
then asks the member to state his inquiry, 
which he does. After the member has 
stated his inquiry the chair gives the de- 
sired information, or if the chair is unde- 
cided as to the proper procedure, he may 
either submit it at once to the vote of the 
assembly, or he may -ask the opinion of 
the members before answering the inquiry ; 
this giving of such opinions should not 
take the form of a debate, and the chair 
may at any time decide the question. This 
decision is subject to an appeal to the as- 
sembly. 

WITHDRAWAL OF A MOTION. 

37' If, after making a motion, the 
mover does not want it to go to vote, or 
if he wishes to modify it, or substitute an- 
other in its place, he may, with the consent 
of the member who seconded it, withdraw 
the motion if it has not been stated by the 
chair. If the motion has been stated by the 
chair, it becomes the property of the as- 
sembly and cannot be withdrawn without 




42 RENEWAL OF A MOTION. § 38 

consent of the assembly, or modified except 
by the regular process of amendment. 

If any one objects to the withdrawal of 
the motion, it must either go before the 
assembly to be voted on, or a motion may 
be made granting leave to withdraw it. 
The motion granting leave to withdraw 
cannot be debated or amended. When a 
motion has been withdrawn the effect is the 
same as if it had not been moved. 

RENEWAL OF A MOTION. 

3$. Sometimes it is found advisable to 
renew a motion, resolution, or amendment, 
which has been withdrawn to make room 
for other business, to prevent defeat, or for 
other reasons. 

A question that has been acted upon and 
either adopted or rejected, cannot be re- 
newed at that session except by a motion 
to reconsider (135). 

A motion which has been withdrawn 
(37) has not been acted upon. Therefore, 
it may be renewed. 



V 



j 39 DEBATE AND DECORUM. 43 

A motion to adjourn may be renewed if 
business or debate has intervened. A mo- 
tion -to suspend the rules (130) cannot be 
renewed at the same meeting for the same 
purpose; but it may be renewed at the 
next meeting, although the meeting be held 
on the same day. 

After anv business has been introduced 
that alters the state of affairs, it is in order 
to renew any defeated motion, since by 
reason of the altered state of affairs the 
question before the assembly is a different 
one; but, in such cases, it is not in order 
to call for the orders of the day again, or to 
offer the same amendment a second time, 
or to move a suspension of the rules (130) 
for the same purpose, because in these 
cases the questions involved remain the 
same. 

DEBATE AND DECORUM. 

39- Debate is defined as a conflict or 
strife expressed in words for the purpose 
of making clear the point under discussion' 
or of influencing action. 



44 DEBATE AND DECORUM. § 39 

In all assemblies there is sure to be a 
difference of opinion among the members 
on the question before them, and said dif- 
ference of opinion will lead to debate. 

It is important for the welfare and or- 
derly conduct of any assembly that its de- 
bates should be treated with liberality and 
that every member who has an opinion on 
the subject should be given the opportu- 
nity to freely express his views. It is the 
duty of the chairman to see that the ques- 
tion (if debatable) is fully and fairly dis- 
cussed, and that such discussion is con- 
ducted with decorum. Experience, how- 
ever, has shown the necessity of complying 
with certain rules governing debate, in or- 
der to confine the speakers within certain 
limits, and to protect the more timid mem- 
bers in their individual rights as members 
of the assembly. 

After a question has been stated to the 
assembly by the presiding officer (if it is 
a debatable one), it is properly before the 
assembly for debate. If two or more rise 
to speak to it, and if the mover of the 
measure is one of them, the chair ought 
first, as a matter of courtesy, to recognize 



a^\ 



8 40 DEBATE AND DECORUM. 45 

the mover of the proposition, for, since it 
is his proposition, it is .fair to presume he 
can best explain it. (But this is under- 
stood to be purely a matter of courtesy, 
and not of right.) Then the chairman 
should recognize one opposed to the ques- 
tion, and so conduct the debate that both 
sides of the question may be fully and 
fairly discussed. 

40. The subject of debate is always the 
last debatable question submitted to the 
assembly, whether it is the main question 
DV any incidental or subsidiary question. 
So if a member has spoken to a main ques- 
tion, he may speak upon any dependent 
question if debatable. For example, if he 
las spoken to a question or resolution, and if 
it be moved to refer the subject to a com- 
nittee, he may speak as to the propriety of 
referring it, and also on the question pre- 
sented by the report of the committee. If 
;he last question is an undebatable one 
(75), then all debate ceases until the unde- 
Datable question is disposed of. Some- 
:imes the pending question is one that 
Dpens to debate the entire merits of the 



46 DEBATE AND DECORUM. §41 

question (122, 135) ; in that case the sub- 
ject of debate includes the whole range of 
pending propositions. 

The presiding officer should not partici- 
pate in debate while in the chair, or take 
part in the proceedings in any other capac- 
ity than as its presiding officer. He is, 
however, allowed to state matters of fact 
within his knowledge, state the parliament- 
ary effect of proposed acts of the assembly, 
inform the assembly on points of order, 
and when an appeal (124) is taken from his 
decision he may state to the assembly his 
reasons for the decision before putting the 
appeal to vote. ' 

41. When a member has the floor, the 
chairman or any other member cannot in- 
terrupt him as long as he keeps within the 
rules of the assembly. (See exceptions in 
section 78). 

Each member in speaking should confine, 
himself to the question before the assem- 
bly, and should bear in mind that all lan- 
guage must be decorous. He should not 



^. 






42 DEBATE AND DECORUM. 47 

address himself to the assembly, or to any 
particular member, but to the presiding 
officer. This rule does not apply when 
some other member desires to interrupt the 
member speaking in order to made a per- 
sonal inquiry, or to ask permission to move 
an adjournment, as the speaker is then 
master of the situation and courtesy de- 
mands that such inquiries shall be ad- 
dressed to him. Such questions and 
answers should not be allowed to degener- 
ate into a dialogue between the members, 
since an inexperienced debater, if subject 
to frequent questions, might lose his self- 
possession. The chair should not allow a 
speaker to be annoyed by unnecessary in- 
terruptions. 

42. Instead of mentioning by name any- 
one then present, the member speaking 
should describe him by such phrase as the 
gentleman on the other side of the ques- 
tion; or, on my left; or, on my right; the 
gentleman who spoke last ; or, last but one, 
or by any respectful term which indi- 
cates the person meant. In fact, the speak- 
er should not allow himself to indulge in 



A 



48 DEBATE AND DECORUM. § 43 

personal reflections concerning any mem- 
ber. Any use of personalities should be 
promptly stopped by the presiding officer. 
If the presiding officer fails to do this, any 
member may interrupt the speaker by a 
call to order. The speaker should not 
arraign the motives of any member. He 
may, however, assail the argument in the 
strongest terms, or use any fair means to 
show the deception, injustice, or fallacy of 
the argument. 

43 • Debate on any debatable question 
(unless the previous question [97] is or- 
dered) is not closed until the negative is 
put, and until the negative is put, it is in 
order for any member to ask the floor to 
speak for or against the question. If, after 
the chairman has announced the vote, it is 
found that a member who had not spoken 
to the question had risen for the purpose of 
speaking to the question before the nega- 
tive was put, he is as much entitled to a 
hearing as if the vote had not been taken. 
In such cases the question is in the same 
condition as if it had not been put, and 
must be put over again, on the affirmative 



§ 44 DEBATE AND DECORUM 49 

as well as the negative side ; therefore, be- 
fore putting a question to vote, the chair- 
man should be careful to give every mem- 
ber who so desires an opportunity to be 
leard by saying, "Are you ready for the 
question ?" and waiting a reasonable time 
before putting it to vote. 

When the vote is by the Yeas and Nays 
(47) debate cannot be re-opened after the 
voting has commenced. 

44. When a member is speaking he may 
field the floor for a question addressed to 
limself without losirig his right to con- 
;inue, since if yielded for a question com- 
non courtesy would assign him the floor 
:or an answer ; or he may yield for a mo- 
ion to adjourn, or for a recess, without 
osing his right to continue if either of 
;hese motions is lost; on the other hand, 
f the motion is carried, he is entitled to 
'esume at the next meeting. He has no , 
*ight to yield to another member to speak 
'or or against the question, or to another 
nember to make an explanation, unless 
inder the cognizance of the chair. If he 

4 



50 QUORUM. g 45 

yields lo another member for any purpose 
— except as above noted — he yields for all 
purposes. 



QUORUM. 

45- A quorum is that number of the 
members of a society necessary to transact 
business legally, and in the absence of a 
rule adopted by the organization, or fixed 
by law, consist's of a majority of the mem- 
bers. The society may (unless it is an as- 
sembly whose quorum is fixed by law) 
adopt any number, even a small part of its 
membership. In many societies having a 
large membership, a majority of the mem- 
bers is seldom, if ever, present : therefore, 
in such societies a rule requiring that a 
majority must be present to constitute a 
quorum would be decidedly unwise. For 
this reason, every society should adopt a 
rule fixing the quorum. 









The quorum of a committee, however, is! 
a majority of the committee, unless the su- , 
perior body has otherwise directed. In a 



§ 4 6 QUORUM. 51 

temporary meeting the question of quorum 
does not arise, since those present consti- 
tute the competent number. 

In ascertaining if a quorum is present, it 
is not necessary that all vote or had voted 
on a question. The fact that a sufficient 
number is present renders the assembly 
competent to transact business, as those 
who refrain from voting are regarded as 
jconsenting to the result. 

46. The chair or any member may raise 
;the question of quorum. When it is raised 
the chair should count the members, to as- 
certain if a quorum is present. Members 
present, but not voting, count in determin- 
ing a quorum; but in nothing else. If a 
iquorum is present, business proceeds as be- 
fore. If the number is less than the re- 
quired quorum, the assembly has ceased to 
be a deliberative one, and the chair should 
declare the assembly adjourned. If, how- 
ever, no time or place has been fixed for 
the next meeting, those present (even if 
there be less than a quorum) may, by rea- 
son of the necessity and urgency of the 



52 VOTING. § 47 

case, fix the time or place for the next 
meeting and adjourn to that time or place. 
Otherwise, the assembly might be dissolved 
by less than a quorum. Business trans- 
acted without a quorum is legal until the 
question of quorum is raised. 



I 



VOTING. 



47* The methods of voting in general 

use are : t 

ir, 
ist. By sound, commonly called the 

Ayes and Noes, or the viva voce vote, in 

which the chair decides by the volume of 

voice whether the ayes or the noes are in 

the majority. 






2nd. By rising, or by uplifted hands, in 
which the chair, or some one designated by 
the chair, counts the vote. 

3rd. By the Yeas and Nays, in which 
the roll is called and the vote recorded by 
the clerk. This method of voting is rarely 
used except in an assembly whose members 
are responsible to a constituency and is pe- 
culiar to legislative bodies. Its object is to 



1 



.\ 



§ 47 voting. 53 

hold each member personally responsible 
to his constituents. 

It is usually ordered by vote of one-fifth 
of the members present. In legislative 
bodies, such as legislatures, city councils, 
etc., where constituents have a right to 
know how the members vote, a small num- 
ber of the members should be able to order 
jthe vote taken by the yeas and nays, and 
'this should be provided for in the rules. 

4th. By ballot, in which each member 
deposits his vote. It is the only method by 
Iwhich secrecy is preserved, and is generally 
used in elections to membership and to 
joffice, where the members do not desire to 
express their preferences openly. The 
principle underlying all elections is the 
liright of the voter to a secret expression of 
[opinion. 



48. In most societies it is provided in 
the constitution or bv-laws that elections to 
membership and to office shall be by ballot. 
When such elections have been by ballot, 
jthat vote should not be reconsidered (135). 
.j In counting the ballots, all votes cast for 



f 



54 voting. §49 

an eligible candidate are legal and should 
be counted, whether the candidate was 
nominated or not, and if any eligible per- 
son receives the requisite number of votes 
he is legally elected. In assemblies where 
a majority of all votes cast is required to 
elect, all votes cast for ineligible candidates 
should be counted in determining the num- 
ber of votes cast (unless the voters had 
notice of the ineligibility of the candidate 
before voting), but when an ineligible can- 
didate receives the requisite number of 
votes to elect, there must be a new election. 



i 



In determining how many votes have 
been cast, blanks should not be counted, be- i 
cause by casting a blank the member shows 
that he has no preference between the can- 
didates and is willing to abide by the result. ' 

40 . If after voting on any question by 
the Ayes and Noes, the chair is in doubt, or 
if before or after the decision by the chair, 
and before other business has been taken 
up by the assembly, any member calls for 
a division of the vote, a rising vote is taken. 
The chair will say, "As many as are in 



§ 5° voting. 55 

favor of will rise and remain stand- 
ing until counted." After the count he will 
say, "The ayes will be seated and the noes 
will rise." The chair may count the vote 
or appoint tellers, or any disinterested 
member, to count it and announce the vote 
to him ; the chair then announces the re- 
sult to the assembly. After the vote has 
been counted, and verified by a rising vote, 
or otherwise, another verification of the 
vote is not in order except by general con- 
sent, or after reconsideration of the former 
vote. (135.) Debate cannot interfere with 
the verification of the vote. 

50. A member has a right to change his 
vote (when not made by ballot) before the 
decision of the question has been an- 
nounced by the chair; but not afterward. 
In most legislative assemblies, or in assem- 
blies whose members are responsible to a 
constituency, members are permitted to 
change their vote (even after the result has 
been announced by the chair) as long as 
this change does not alter the result. They 
are by this means able to appear on the 
right side in the eyes of their constituents. 



56 VOTING. § 51 

This practice, however, should only be al- 
lowed by unanimous consent, since it has 
the disadvantage of allowing a member of 
the defeated party the right to move to re- 
consider. The chairman is entitled to vote 
when the vote is by ballot, and in all other 
cases when his vote will change the result. 
(*Note to section 52.) Therefore, when 
there is a tie vote the motion fails unless 
the chair votes in the affirmative, or when 
his vote will make a tie, he can cast it and 
thus defeat the measure. In the case where 
a two-third vote is necessary and his vote 
thrown with the minority would prevent 
the adoption of the question, he can cast 
his vote; so, also, he can vote with the 
majority when it will make a two-third 
vote and thus cause the motion to carry. 
In any of these cases the chair may vote or 
refrain from voting. 

51 • If the vote is by the Yeas and Nays, 
the chairman's name should be the last 
called, in order that the assembly may not 
be in any way influenced by his vote. If, 
however, the chairman's name is called in 
alphabetical order with the other members, 






§ 52 VOTING. 57 

he may refrain from voting, and if the vote 
is a tie he may have his vote recorded and 
thus decide the question. If the vote is by 
ballot, the chairman must cast his vote 
before the tellers have commenced to count 
the ballots, or his right to vote is lost. 

52. It is the duty of members to vote 
when clear as to their convictions ; but 
while a society may make a rule making it 
obligatory upon all members present to 
vote on every question, there is no rule in 
parliamentary law requiring that all mem- 
bers of the assembly vote on any question ; 
therefore, by a majority vote is meant a 
majority of the members voting on the 

*Note. — It will be seen that the above rule from 
Robert's Rules of Order, section 40, confers great 
power upon the chair, possibly too much in assem- 
blies where the lines are closely drawn, or where 
party feeling runs high, Therefore, while good 
authorities may concede this right, and many 
presiding officers under certain circumstances 
would exercise the right, yet since the general 
practice in ordinary deliberative assemblies con- 
tradicts this, it seems wiser for the chairman to 
refrain from voting, except when the vote is by 
ballot, or when necessary to decide a tie vote. 



58 PROXY VOTING. § 53 

question, not a majority of all the mem- 
bers, nor of the members present. Those 
who sit silent are regarded as agreeing to 
the result, be it in the affirmative or nega- 
tive. When there is no response on either 
side it is assumed that the assembly has no 
interest in the question and the chair may 
declare the result in the affirmative or neg- 
ative. Said vote is subject to verification 
as in doubting the vote. (49.) 

PROXY VOTING. 

53* A proxy is a power of attorney given 
by a person who has a right to vote to an- 
other person, granting this second person 
the right to vote in his place. Proxy voting 
is allowable only when the charter of the 
society or corporation, the organic law of 
the order, or some law passes by competent 
authority, gives proxy power. A proxy may 
be unlimited, or it may be limited as to the 
subject, to how he shall vote, the time, etc. 
It must be in writing, signed by the one 
having the right to vote, and if limited, 
should be definite as to the extent of the 
power given. 







COMMITTEES. 59 

Where proxy voting is allowed a proxy 
committee should be appointed a reasonable 
time before the voting begins, in order that 
this committee, after ascertaining who have 
given proxies, to whom given, extent of 
power conferred, etc., may prepare a list 
for the use of the secretary, and report to 
the assembly before the voting begins. 

COMMITTEES. 

54. A committee is a miniature assembly 
appointed or elected to consider some special 
subject, to transact some special business, 
or perform certain duties and report to the 
assembly. 

Ordinary committees are of two kinds, 
standing or permanent committees and spe- 
cial or temporary committees, and in mak- 
ing reports they rank in the order named. 

Standing committees are those appointed 
or elected at the beginning of the session 
or the year to take charge of such matters 
as appropriately come under their jurisdic- 
tion during the whole session or year. 



60 COMMITTEES. § 55 

Special committees are such as are ap- 
pointed, or elected for a specific purpose, 
or to take charge of some special subject. 

'Most fraternal organizations have a 
standing committee known as an executive 
committee or council of administration 
whose duty is to attend to pressing mat- 
ters of the organization between its annual 
meetings. 

55« Where there are two or more bodies 
auxiliary to each other it is customary to 
have appointed a committee consisting of 
an equal number from each body known as 
a conference committee (which ranks with 
standing committees) to which is referred 
all matters concerning both or all the bodies. 
This committee meets to discuss the busi- 
ness referred to them and after agreement 
report to their respective assemblies. In 
such assemblies courtesy to the auxiliary 
body requires that precedence be given to 
the report of the conference committee. In 
order for a conference report to be valid it 
must be agreed to by a majority of those 
from each body on this committee and the 



ft 56 COMMITTEES. 6 1 

report is not binding upon either body 
until agreed to by all the bodies. 



56. In small assemblies, especially those 
in which but little business is transacted, 
there is not much use for standing commit- 
tees; but in large or legislative assemblies, 
or in permanent organizations which have 
to deal with important and difficult ques- 
tions, committees are of the utmost import- 
ance in saving time, also in preventing 
hasty or unwise action. 

In nine cases out of ten when such com- 
mittees are properly selected their action or 
recommendations as embodied in their re- 
ports decides that of the assembly. It is 
the work of such committees to 1 prepare 
matters to be acted upon, to digest and put 
into proper form for the action of the as- 
sembly all matters relating to the subject of 
which they are in control, and to report 
their recommendations to the assembly 
for its modification, adoption or rejection. 
The assembly acts only on the report of the 
committee (63). 



62 COMMITTEES. § 57 

57- When an assembly has such commit- 
tees all matters are on their first presenta- 
tion usually referred without reading to 
the proper committees, because the reading 
of all such communications would consume 
too large a portion of the session, leaving 
but little time for action. If the committee 
is one for action, it should be small and 
consist of only those in favor of the pro- 
posed action, since if any member of the 
committee is hostile to the measure he 
cannot be expected to assist in perfecting 
it. When the committee is one for deliber- 
ation, or investigation, it should be larger 
and represent all parties, so that the fullest 
debate may be had in committee, and its 
opinion and recommendations, as contained 
in its report, carry as great weight as pos- 
sible, because if any important faction is 
not represented the usefulness of the com- 
mittee may be greatly impaired, and the 
chance of unpleasant debate in the assem- 
bly increased. In either case it is well to 
have a committee consist of an uneven 
number, in order to avoid a tie vote. 



V 



§ 58 COMMITTEES. 63 

58. The number of a committee, and 
also how it shall be appointed, are usually 
decided without the formality of a motion, 
by the chairman asking, "Of how many 
shall the committee consist ?" or, "How 
shall the* committee be appointed ?" If 
only one number is suggested he announces 
that the committee will consist of that num- 
ber. If several numbers are suggested he 
states the different numbers suggested and 
takes a vote, as in filling blanks (133), 
until one number receives votes sufficient 
to adopt it. After the committee has been 
formed the presiding officer has no power 
to change it — even though he appointed the 
committee. Usually committees are ap- 
pointed by the chair, in which case he 
names the members of the committee, and 
no vote is taken on them ; or the committee 
may be nominated by the chair, or by the 
members of the assembly, and the assembly 
vote on the appointment. If more names 
are nominated than the number of the com- 
mittee a separate vote should be taken on 
each name until the committee is filled. 



64 COMMITTEES. § 59 

59' The first person named on the com- 
mittee acts as its chairman or presiding offi- 
cer in the preliminary steps of arranging 
for the meeting of the committee and of 
calling the committee to order, and by com- 
mon consent he is usually permitted to so 
act through the whole proceedings of the 
committee; this, however, is understood 
to be by courtesy only, for (unless the 
chairman is designated by the assembly) 
every committee has a right to elect its 
own chairman to preside over it and report 
its proceedings to the assembly. 

60. The custom in many societies of the 
presiding officer appointing as chairman 
of the committee the member making the 
motion for its appointment is objectionable 
and has no good precedent or warrant in 
parliamentary procedure ; he is no more en- 
titled to be chairman, or even to be one of 
the committee, than any other member is; 
moreover, such an appointment often leads 
to a very embarrassing condition of affairs, 
since the mover may be the most incompe- 
tent member for the position ; furthermore, 
the custom bars all the members but one 



§ 6l COMMITTEES. . 65 

from being chairman of such committee. 
The presiding officer of an assembly will 
generally succeed best who makes it a rule 
never to appoint as chairman of a commit- 
tee the person who made the motion, but 
such members, who from interest in the 
matter or from general ability, are best 
fitted to do its peculiar work. Then, if the 
mover of the motion be one of the commit- 
tee, and the members so desire, they can 
upon their first calling together elect him 
chairman. 

61 9 In many societies the presiding offi- 
cer of the assembly is regarded as ex-ofUcio 
a member of all committees ; there is, how- 
ever, no good authority for this, since 
only those persons regularly placed on a 
I committee should be regarded as members 
thereof, neither does it follow that if he is 
a member of a committee he is the chairman 
of such committee, as, unless it is so or- 
dered by the assembly, the committee can- » 
not be deprived of its right to elect its own 
chairman. When the presiding officer is 
by rule of the society an ex-ofhcio mem- 
ber of a committee he may, or may 

5 



66 COMMITTEES. § 62 

not, attend the committee meetings, and his 
presence or absence should not affect the 
question of quorum. . 

J 
62. The authority of a committee ex- 
tends only so far as authorized by common 
parliamentary law, or as instructed by 
the assembly at the time of its appointment ; 
therefore, when a committee is instructed 
it must follow instructions, and has author- ' 
ity only over the business referred to it. 
The committee may, however, be further < 
instructed by the assembly while in the 
exercise of its duty as such committee. 
A committee may submit a part of its work 
to a sub-committee, but such sub-commit- 
tee should report to the committee creating 
it, and not to the assembly. If the commit- 
tee is given full powers its action is final, 
and upon report the assembly is bound by 
such action. If the committee is to act 
upon any report, resolution, or other paper 
submitted to it by the assembly, it cannot 
alter the text of such paper by amendment, 
addition or erasure. The original paper 
should be returned to the assembly intact, 
with the committee's amendments, if any, 



ft 63 REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 67 

written on a separate sheet, to be submitted 
to the assembly for its adoption or rejec- 
tion. The committee may, however, alter 
or amend any paper which originates with 
said committee. (See also note to section 

143)- 
After the committee has finished its busi- 

1 

! ness some member should move that "the 
i committee rise and report" (which is equiv- 
| alent to adjournment) and, if carried, the 
I chairman or some member previously se- 
I lected for the purpose reports to the as- 
: sembly. 

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 

63. There is a wide difference between 
the reception and the adoption of the re- 
iport of a committee. The reception of a 
committee's report only brings it before the 
assembly for its adoption, rejection, or 
modification, and' it becomes the subject of 4 
action like any other business; it may be 
amended, and it is subject to all proper mo- 
tions. The fact that the report has been 
read shows that it has been received ; the 



68 REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. § 64 

question then before the asesmbly is on 

the adoption on rejection of the report. A 

vote to accept a report is equivalent to 
adopting it. 

When a committee's report is adopted, 
accepted, or agreed to, it becomes the action 
of the assembly the same aj if done by the 
assembly without the intervention of a com- 
mittee. 

64. When no time is fixed for the re 
port, the proper procedure is : when the 
committee or some member reports that the 
committee is ready to report, the assembly 
may by vote receive the report then, or at 
some future time ; when said report is read 
then take steps toward the adoption or re- 
jection of such report; the fact that the as- 
sembly has voted to receive the report only 
indicates that the assembly is willing to 
take up its consideration. Should the com- 
mittee recommend amendments, the amend- 
ments so recommended should be first 
voted on, because they are in fact offered 
by the assembly itself, which created the 
committee and gave it power to act. When 



§ 65 REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 69 

the report is merely explanatory or advis- 
ory it is read solely for the information of 
the assembly, and action is had on the main 
question, which is the subject of procedure. 

65. When a special committee (54) has 
reported in full to the assembly, said com- 
mittee is thereby discharged without 
further action of the assembly and the com- 
mittee can act no more unless revived by a 
vote to recommit. When the report is 
I only a partial one the reception of the re- 
I port does not discharge the committee. If, 
I however, the committee has made but a 
partial report or reperted progress, it would 
be in order to move that the commit- 
tee be discharged from further consid- 
eration of the subject. 

On the other hand, if the report when of- 
fered to the assembly is not received, the 
committee is not thereby discharged, but 
must await a more favorable time. 

After a standing committee (54) has 
made a full report, while it continues to 
exist, it has no further control of the mat- 
ter reported on without a new reference. 



70 REPORTS OE COMMITTEES. § 66 

66. Sometimes the members of a com- 
mittee do not agree upon a report. In this 
case the majority of the members determine 
the report of the committee, which is some- 
times erroneously called the majority re- 
port. The other members of the committee 
may desire to present their views in op- 
position, which they do collectively or in- 
dividually by consent of the assembly in a 
report known as the minority report. 

It is customary to receive the minority 
report immediately after receiving the re- 
port of the committee, so when the com- 
mittee's report is presented the minority may 
by courtesy be permitted to submit their 
report — this permission is seldom refused 
— but said minority report has simply the 
standing of a substitute (141) except that 
it is known to be backed by certain mem- 
bers of the committee who have been in- 
vestigating the subject and are therefore 
competent to instruct the assembly on the 
subject; but said minority report can only 
be acted upon by first voting to substitute 
it for the report of the committee. 



§ 67 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. 7 1 

I COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. 

i 

67. Sometimes the question before the 

i 

assembly is a complicated and important 
I one, and the assembly is not ready for final 
action upon it, but desires an informal dis- 
cussion to consider the question more fully 
and with less formality. This can be done 
by the assembly resolving itself into a 
"committee of the whole," which is simply 
a committee meeting of the whole body. 
The form is, "I move this assembly do now 
resolve itself into a committee of the whole 
to consider the question of (naming the 
question). " If this carries, the presid- 
ing officer appoints a member to the chair 
and takes his seat among the members, 
or if the assembly objects it may elect its 
own chairman. 

68. As a.committee of the whole, or any 
committee, is but a creature of the assem- 
bly, any action taken is not final or is not 
binding on the assembly until adopted by 
the assembly; therefore its report or recom- 
mendation should be submitted to the as- 
sembly at large for final action. A mem- 



72 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. § 6<J 

orandum should be kept of the proceeding 
for the use of the committee and to assist 
the chairman in making his report; but 
such memorandum should not be recorded 
on the minutes of the assembly, only the 
report of the committee is so> recorded, 
and said report becomes a part of the pro- 
ceedings of the assembly. 

69. While the assembly is acting as a 
committee of the whole the only action in 
order is to recommend to the assembly at 
large the adoption of, or rejection of the 
matter under discussion, or such other 
recommendation or action as comes within 
the authority of ordinary committees, and 
to move that the committee rise and report. 
Being a dependent body it cannot make 
any rule for itself unless authorized by the • 
parent body, and its decision only amounts 
to an informal vote on the question at issue. 
Each member may speak as often as he can 
secure recognition by the chair, and there 
is no limit to be placed -on debate in the com- 
mittee except such limit as may be made by 
order of the assembly. The yeas and nays 
cannot be ordered because it would destroy 



li 



§ 70 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. 73 

the original purpose of going into* com- 
mittee by having the record show how the 
members voted on the question. It cannot 
refer any matter to another committee ; 
because if the committee of the whole 
should rise during the conference of such 
sub-committee, the sub-committee would 
have no body to report to. The committee 
of the whole may, however, recommend in 
their report to the assembly that the matter 
under discussion be referred to a commit- 
tee. 

70. Should the committee become dis- 
orderly the chairman of the assembly may 
take the chair and declare the committee 
dissolved, or when order is restored the 
presiding officer may leave the chair and 
the committee resumes. When the com- 
mittee has finished its business a motion 
is made that the committee "rise and re- 
port/' If this motion is carried the com- 
mittee has re-converted itself into the as- 
sembly without leaving their seats by sim- 
ply agreeing to rise — the presiding officer 
of the assembly resumes the chair and the 
chairman of the committee makes his re- 



^4 EQUIVALENT MOTIONS. §71 

port. This report is then before the as- 
sembly for final action. 

EQUIVALENT "MOTIONS. 

71 • Equivalent motions are those which 
have either the same effect, or effects exact- 
ly opposite to each other, or those which 
exactly deny a proposition already decided 
— for example — if a motion or resolution 
approving any action has been adopted, or 
rejected, it would not be in order to offer 
a motion or resolution disapproving of such 
action. Since the question to be decided 
by the assembly is the same — an affirma- 
tive vote in one case is equivalent to an 
negative in the other — a decision on one 
question decides the other. 

CLASSIFICATION OF MOTIONS. 

72. Privileged, or independent motions, 
Sec. 80. 

Subsidiary, or preferred dependent mo- 
tions, Sec. 93. 

Incidental, or dependent motions, Sec. 
123. 

Miscellaneous motions, Sec. 132. 

Main, or principal motions, Sec. 2j. 



§ 73 PRECEDENCE OF MOTIONS. J$ 

ORDER OF MOTIONS AND THEIR 

PRECEDENCE TO ONE 

ANOTHER. 

73. To fix the time to which to adjourn. 

To adjourn. 

Questions of privilege. 

Orders of the day. 

To lay on the table. 

The previous question. 

To postpone to a certain time. 

To commit. 

To amend. 

To postpone indefinitely. 

Appeals. 

Objection to consideration. 

Withdrawal of a motion. 

Division of a question. 

Suspension of the rules. 

To fill blanks. 

Reading of papers. 

To reconsider. 

To substitute. 

Main, or principal motion. 

Note. — The above is the order in which mo- 
tions may be said to have precedence over one 
another. It is understood that motions com- 



76 PRECEDENCE OF MOTIONS. § *]$ 

pelled by necessity, questions of privilege, ques- 
tions of order, and questions of consideration 
(when applying to the main question) should 
take precedence for the time being over every- 
thing in the order named; but since there are 
many exceptions and much conflict of authorities 
on the subject of precedence and since many emer- 
gencies may arise, the chairman should be guided 
largely by common sense. As "necessity knows 
no law," he should be the judge (subject to an 
appeal to the assembly) whether the motion so 
offered is of such character that necessity requires 
it should have precedence. (a) For instance, 
while good authorities assert that the motion for 
adjournment is not in order after the previous 
question (07) has been called for, still there are 
good reasons why it should be permissible after 
the previous question has been acted upon and 
ordered. Because if ordered and the adjournment 
is decided in the affirmative, then the question 
would come up immediately upon re-assembling 
— since, the previous question is still in force — and 
the vote so ordered by the previous question 
would then be taken, (b) So also there seems to 
be no good reason why the previous question, 
both motions for postponement, and to commit 
should be regarded of. equal rank, and therefore 
the previous question not allowed while either of 
these questions, or in fact any debatable question, 
is pending, (c) Furthermore, if an amendment 
is pending why should not a motion to indefinitely 
postpone be allowed without first acting on the 







74 CANNOT BE AMENDED. 77 



amendment? Because it is presumable that the 
members are competent to judge whether they 
desire to dispose of the whole matter for that 
session by indefinite postponement. 

i| 

j 74- CANNOT BE AMENDED. 

A call for the orders of the day. 
To adjourn (when unqualified). 
To lay on the table. 
To take from the table. 
The previous question. 
To postpone indefinitely. 
An appeal. 

Objection to consideration. 
Withdrawal of a motion (granting leave 
for) . 

Suspension of the rules. 

Reading of papers (granting leave for). 

To reconsider. 

Amendment of an amendment. 

75. CANNOT BE DEBATED.* 

To fix the time to which to adjourn 
(when another question is before the as- 
sembly). 

To adjourn (when unqualified). 



78 CANNOT BE DEBATED. §75 

A call for the orders of the day. 

Suspension of the rules. 

To lay on the table. - 

To take from the table. 

The previous question. 

Objection to consideration. 

Granting leave to read papers. 

Questions of order (on an undebatable 
question). 

Questions as to the method of voting. 

To go into committee of the whole. 

Any matter that interrupts an undebat- 
able question. 

All motions limiting or closing debate. 

Granting leave to withdraw a motion. 

To reconsider (if on an undebatable 
question). 



Note. — "A level-headed chairman will recog- 
nize the difference between discussing the ques- 
tion pure and simple, and making suggestions or 
asking a question, as business may often be 
facilitated by allowing such informal remarks, 
and when such suggestions or questions will as- 
sist in determining the question they may be al- 
lowed to a limited extent (if no objection is of- 
fered) even though the question before the as- 
sembly is undebatable." 



& 



§ 76 SECOND NOT NECESSARY. 79 

Granting leave to continue his speech 
(to one deemed guilty of indecorum in de- 
bate). 

An appeal, when it relates to 'indecorum 
in debate, or to a transgression of the rules, 
or to priority of business, or if the previous 
question is pending. 

The main question (27) cannot be de- 
bated while an amendment (106) is pend- 
ing, or when an amendment to an amend- 
ment (112) is pending the amendment can 
be debated only so far as is necessary to 
show the propriety or impropriety of 
adopting the amendment to the amend- 
ment. 

The motions to postpone indefinitely 
(122) and to reconsider (135) if applied 
to a debatable question, opens to debate 
the merits of the question sought to be post- 
poned or reconsidered. 

DO NOT REQUIRE TO BE SEC- 
ONDED. 

76. A call for the orders of the day. 

Objection to consideration. 

A nomination (unless by special rule). 



80 REQUIRE A TWO-THIRDS VOTE. § 77 

REQUIRE A TWO-THIRDS VOTE.* 

77- To make a special order. 

To take up out of order. 

Suspension of the rules. 

Objection to consideration (in the nega- 
tive to suppress). 

The previous question. 

To amend the rules (usually requiring 
previous notice also). 

To close or limit debate. 

To close nominations. 

Any question which has the effect of 
changing or suspending a rule of the so- 
ciety, or its established order of business. 

Note. — Notwithstanding that a question may 
require a two-thirds vote to adopt it, it may be 
amended before adoption by a majority vote. 

BUSINESS TH*AT MAY INTERRUPT 
A MEMBER WHILE SPEAKING. 

78. A point of order. 

Question of privilege requiring imme- 
diate action. 

A call for the orders of the day. 

Objection to consideration of the ques- 
tion. 



£ 78 INTERRUPTION OF SPEAKER. 8l 

To have entered on the minutes "a mo- 
tion to reconsider." 

79. Questions which do not require 
recognition by the chair before stating 
the object in rising: 

Parliamentary inquiry. 
I Question of privilege. 
j Appeal. 
I A call for the orders of the day. 

Point of order. 
. Objection to consideration. 

Call for division of the vote. 

Withdrawal of a motion. 

Seconding a motion. 

Doubting title to the floor. 

Questions of no quorum. 

Changing a vote. 

Doubting a vote. 

Nominations (after the first). 

. PRIVILEGED MOTIONS. 

l8o. Privileged motions (sometimes 
galled independent motions) are those 
;vhich on account of their importance, and 
)f the needs of the assembly as a deliber- 



w 



82 PRIVILEGED MOTIONS. § 80 

ative body, or by reason of the necessity or 
urgency of their nature, are entitled to prec- 
edence over the main question (2j) and 
over all subsidiary (93) and incidental 
(123) questions and are as follows in their 
order of precedence among themselves :* 

To fix the time (or place) to which to 
adjourn. 

To adjourn. 

Questions of privilege. 

Orders of the day. I 

Note. — It is understood that any of these ques-f 
tions may be interrupted, but is not cut off by any 1 
of the following: 1 

A question of privilege requiring immediate ac- - 
tion. I 

Points of order relating to the question. 

Notice to have entered on the minutes a motion 
to reconsider. 

Motions as to the method of voting. 

Parliamentary inquiries — or any question which 
from necessity or urgency requires immediate 
action. 



1 



TO FIX THE TIME OR PLACE TO 
WHICH TO ADJOURN. 

81. This motion is the highest in rank 
and takes precedence of all other motions.! 






8 82 TIME AND PLACE TO ADJOURN. 83 

It may, however, be interrupted by a ques- 
tion of privilege (87) [if requiring imme- 
diate action] or by a point of order (32). It 
may be either a privilege or an unprivileged 
motion, and it may be debatable or unde- 
batable, according to the circumstances 
under which it is moved. For example, if 
the privileged motion to adjourn (83) had 
been made, and no time or place 
for reassembling had been previously 
I determined by vote or rule, then the 
J motion to fix the time or place 
(Would be a highly privileged motion, taking 
precedence of, but not cutting off, the un- 
qualified motion to adjourn, and it "must 
be first acted upon/' but when it interrupts 
the undebatable motion "to adjourn," while 
|it may be amended by changing the time or 
Iplace of meeting it must be decided without 
debate. 

82. It is in order even after a vote to ad- 
journ has been taken if the result of the » 
vote on the motion to adjourn has not been 
nnounced by the chair, but it does not have 
rivilege over a motion for a recess already 
jpending, and cannot be repeated without in- 



84 TO ADJOURN. § 83 

tervening business. It may be amended by 
changing the time or place of meeting, or it 
may be reconsidered. If made when no 
question is before the assembly it becomes 
a principal motion (27) and is debatable, 
but if made when another question is before 
the assembly it is undebatable. [See also 
note to Section 127]. 

TO ADJOURN. 

83* The motion to adjourn takes prece- ([ 
dence of all questions, except to fix the time > 
to which to adjourn, questions of privilege 
requiring immediate action and questions of 
order relating to the adjournment. It is not 
in order when another member has the floor, 
or while the members are voting on any, 
question, or when the previous question 
(97) is pending [See note to Sec. 73 A]. I. 
It cannot be renewed until some business 
has intervened, or until such length of timej, 
has been consumed in debate as to make the 
question virtually a new one. 

If unqualified the motion to adjourn can- 
not be debated or have any other motion ap- 
plied to' it, but in order to take precedence 



\ 



§ 84 TO ADJOURN. 85 

and be acted upon without debate it must 
be simply a motion to adjourn without any 
qualification whatever. 

. 84. If the assembly has not determined 
by vote or otherwise the time or place for 
re-assembling, the motion to adjourn is 
liable to be interrupted by a motion to fix 
the time or place to which it will adjourn; 
otherwise an adjournment would be a dis- 
solution. While the effect of an adjourn- 
ment is simply to interrupt proceedings 
until the assembly meets again, the effect 
of a dissolution is to destroy the assembly. 
Therefore when the motion to adjourn 
would, if carried, dissolve the assembly, it 
loses all privilege and becomes highly de- 
batable. If, however, the assembly was con- 
vened for a session of a number of days, 
and no hour is fixed by vote or rule for 
another day's sitting an adjournment should 
be considered as for the hour and place 
named for the first sitting. If action has 
been had fixing the time for adjournment, 
when that times arrives the chair should 
call attention to the fact and declare the as- 
sembly adjourned, unless a motion is made 
to extend the meeting. 



86 EFFECT OF ADJOURNMENT. § 85 

EFFECT OF ADJOURNMENT ON 
UNFINISHED BUSINESS. 

85. The effect of an adjournment on the 
pending question varies according to the 
nature of the assembly. When a question 
is interupted by adjournment of the session 
(30) of an assembly whose members are 
elective, and the terms of a portion of them 
expire with the session, or when the meet- 
ing is one called for some special purpose, 
the question under consideration at the 
time of adjournment would be defeated and 
would not stand before the assembly at the 
next session ; the same question may, how- 
ever, ±>e introduced at the next session as 
if it had never been before the assembly. 

86. If the adjournment does not close 
the session the question should come up at 
the next meeting after the reading of the 
minutes and be treated as if there had been 
no adjournment. When the adjournment 
closes the session of an assembly holding 
regular sessions oftener than once each 
year, said adjournment does not put an end 
to unfinished business ; all such business 






V 

\ 



J § 87 QUESTIONS OF PRIVILEGE. 87 

should be taken up in its regular order at 
the next session under the order of unfin- 
ished business and consideration upon it re- 
sumed at the point where it was interrupted 
by adjournment. 






QUESTIONS OF PRIVILEGE. 

87. Questions of privilege are those af- 
fecting the rights and privileges of an as- 
sembly, or of its individual members. They 
are of two kinds — those affecting the whole 
assembly as a body, and those affecting an 
individual member, and rank in the order 
named — i. e., the questions affecting the 
rights, safety, dignity, or integrity of the 
assembly as a body take precedence of and 
should be acted upon before those affecting 
a member. All such questions take prece- 
dence of questions of order and of all other 
questions for the time being, or if the ques- 
tion of privilege is requiring immediate ac- 
tion it may even interrupt a member while 
speaking. While questions of privilege, 
questions of order and questions of consid- 
eration are not, properly speaking, motions, 
they take a high rank in every de- 



88 QUESTIONS OF PRIVILEGE. § 88 

liberative assembly and may give rise to 
motions which may even supersede a motion 
to adjourn, or to fix the time to which to 
adjourn. The questions of privilege and 
the motions arising from' them must first 
be acted upon. 

When rising to a question of privilege 
the member should not wait for recognition 
by the chair before stating his object in 
rising. 

88, The form is, "Mr. Chairman, I rise 
to a question of privilege. " The chairman 
will ask the member to state his question. 
After the member states the question it is 
the chairman's prerogative to decide 
whether it is properly a question of priv- 
ilege or one that requires immediate action. 
This decision is subject to an appeal (124) 
to the assembly. If it is decided to be a 
question of privilege, it temporarily super- 
sedes the question pending at the time, to- 
gether with all subsidiary (93) and inci- 
dental (123) motions, and it must be dis- 
posed of, though not of necessity decided at 
once, as it may be postponed or have any 



k\ 



§ 89 ORDERS OF THE bAY. 89 

subsidiary motion applied to it, but if the 
question is postponed, tabled or referred to 
a committee it loses its right of precedence. 
After the question of privilege has been dis- 
posed of the assembly resumes the business 
interrupted by the question and the member 
speaking at the time of interruption, if any, 
is entitled to the floor. 



ORDERS OF THE DAY. 

89. Orders of the day are questions that 
have been by vote of the assembly assigned to 
a certain day or hour, and are thereby made 
privileged questions for that day; or hour; 
therefore, when that time arrives they take 
precedence of all other questions except 
questions of privilege and adjournment, and 
of all other business except reading and ap- 
proval of the minutes, together with all sub- 
sidiary and incidental questions connected 
with them. But the orders for the day can- 
not be taken up before the assigned time* 
except under "suspension of the rules 
(130)" for that purpose. 



90 ORDERS OF THE DAY. § 9O 

90. Orders of the day are of two kinds, 
General and Special. General orders are 
made by a majority vote ; they cannot inter- 
fere with the established rules of the as- 
sembly and if no time is fixed for their con- 
sideration they should be considered as for 
the entire day, or any part of it. If they are 
not called up or disposed of at the time as- 
signed they fall, but may be renewed in the 
usual way. If, however, any order is under 
consideration at the time of adjournment, 
it comes up at the next meeting under un- 
finished business. 

Special orders are made by a two-thirds 
vote. They take precedence of general 
orders and suspend all rules of the assembly 
that interfere with their consideration at the 
time specified. 

91 • It is the duty of the chairman to call 
up the orders at the time assigned to them, 
or when the time arrives anyone may call 
for them even though another member has 
the floor. If no objection is made they are 
taken up at once, but if an objection is made 
the chair says : "Shall the orders- be now 



k- 



§ y2 ORDERS OF THE DAY. 9 1 

taken up?" and a vote is then taken. If the 
vote is in the affirmative the orders will be 
taken up in the order of their assignment— 
i e., the first one assigned should be the 
first one considered, and the question then 
under consideration, if any, would be sus- 
pended until the orders are disposed of. 
If any particular order has been made for a 
certain hour, when that hour arrives it 
may be taken up and assigned to another 
time; if the particular order is acted upon 
the order under consideration at the time 
of interruption would be suspended until 
the business for that hour is disposed of. 
If the vote on taking up the orders is in the 
negative the orders are postponed only 
until the business then before the assemblv 
is transacted, when they are next in order. 

92. A motion to take up the orders does 
not require to be seconded, is not debatable 
or amendable, and a member speaking may 
be interrupted for the purpose of making 
that motion, or when the time arrives, if 
there is no objection, the chair may lay the 
orders before the assembly without the 
formality of a motion, but when called up 



92 subsidiary Motions. § 93 

V 

they need not be then considered, as they 
may be assigned to some future time. A 
majority vote is competent to postpone 
even a special order. A motion to take up 
any particular order would not be a priv- 
ileged motion ; it must be for the orders 
generally if there be more than one. But 
when orders in general are taken up, each 
order in its turn may be disposed of tem- 
porarily by postponement until the desired 
order is reached; or if it is desired to con- 
sider any particular order not yet reached 
it may be done by a motion to "take up the 
question out of order," which is virtually 
a suspension of the rules (130) and re- 
quires a two-thirds vote. 

SUBSIDIARY MOTIONS. 

93* Subsidiary motions (sometimes 
called preferred dependent motions), are 
applied to other motions for the purpose of 
disposing of that particular business, and 
therefore must be decided before the ques- 
tion giving rise to them can be acted upon. 

To lay on the table. 

The previous question. 



■ 



§94 TO LAY ON THE TABLE ' 93 

To postpone to a certain time. 
To commit or re-commit. 
To amend. 
To postpone indefinitely. 

TO LAY ON THE TABLE. 

94. The effect of this motion is to post- 
pone the subject then before the assembly 
in such a way that at any time later it can 
be considered. While in most cases the ob- 
ject of the mover in moving to lay a ques- 
tion on the table is to kill it by preventing 
further consideration and the motion is 
usually made by the opponents of a meas- 
ure, still its effect is only to postpone until 
such time as the assembly decides by mo- 
tion and vote to take it from the table. It 
is, therefore sometimes advisable for the 
friends of a measure, if they are convinced 
it will be defeated if allowed to come to 
vote to move to lay it on the table. Later, 
when a more favorable opportunity offers, 
they may move to take it from the table. 
It applies to almost all motions. The ex- 
ceptions are to fix the time to which to ad- 
journ (when privileged). To adjourn 



94 TO LAY ON THE TABLE. § 95 

(when unqualified). To lay on the table. 
To take from the table. Orders of the day 
(except one at a time), and questions as 
to priority of business. 

95« While the motion to lay on the table 
is a subsidiary motion, a motion to take 
from the table is practically a motion to 
renew a question (38), and since it is a 
principal motion possessing no privilege, it 
cannot be acted upon when another ques- 
tion is under consideration. The form is, 
"I move the question be laid on the table. "* 
This motion takes precedence of all other 
motions except privileged motions (80), 
and to suspend the rules (130). It cannot 

*Note. — Speakers opposed to a question fre- 
quently obtain the floor for the purpose of oppos- 
ing the proposition and after speaking in opposi- 
tion to it close their speech with a motion to "lay- 
on the table." This, while not strictly out of 
order, is a very unparliamentary proceeding, since 
the speaker has got his argument in and those op- 
posed to him have no opportunity to say a word ; 
therefore, in such cases, fair play would seem to 
justify the chair in refusing to entertain the mo- 
tion until those opposed have had at least the 
same opportunity to be heard. 












§ 95 TO LAY ON THE TABLE. 95 

be debated or amended or have any other 
motion applied to it, nor can an affirmative 
vote on it be reconsidered, because if laid 
on the table the proper motion would be to 
take it from the table. 

It is renewable after an amendment or 
when there has been* such progress in de- 
bate or a sufficient lapse of time as to make 
the motion practically a new one. If de- 
cided in the affirmative it takes with it 
everything adhering to the subject, and 
carries to the table the motion to commit 
(104) amendments (106) postponement 
(102), or any question which may be pend- 
ing with the following exceptions : 

Exceptions to the above rules 

*a — An amendment to the minutes (21) 
being laid on the table does not carry the 
minutes with it. 

b — An appeal (124) being laid on the 
table shows that the assembly approves of 
the decision; it has only the effect of sus- 
taining the chair and does not carry the 
original question to the table. 



96 TO LAY ON THE TABLE. § 96 

c — The previous question (97) being 
laid on the table does not carry the other 
questions to the table, as the object in lay- 
ing the previous question on the table is 
that the main question may be further dis- 
cussed. 

d — A motion to reconsider (135) if laid 
on the table is only equivalent to a refusal 
to reconsider the question; it .thereby 
clinches the action it is sought to recon- 
sider for the time being and does not carry 
the original question to the table. 

e— A question of privilege (87) does not 
adhere to the subject it may happen to in- 
terrupt, and if laid on the table does not 
carry with it the question pending when 
the question of privilege was raised. 

A negative decision has no effect what- 
ever. 

96. When a question which has been 
laid on the table is again taken up it comes 
before the assembly as it was prior to the 
motion to lay on the table, with all the 
amendments and motions then pending. 




THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. 97 

THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. 



97. The term "previous question" is mis- 
leading, and is in itself perplexing, as it 
seems to refer to the question previous to 
the one under discussion, when in fact it is 
the name of a motion which is used to bring 
the matter before the assembly immediately 
to vote. In other words it is a motion to 
suppress debate on the question then under 
discussion, or one subsidiary to it, and to 
stop further compilation of new amend- 
ments or motions by bringing it to vote at 
once in the form in which it then exists. 
To illustrate — a question before the as- 
sembly is being debated, when some mem- 
ber moves the previous question. If this 
is seconded and there is no objection the 
question then under consideration will be 
put to a vote first on the pending question 
or amendment, if any, and then the main 
question ; or the chairman may say "the 
previous question has been moved and sec- 4 
oned, the question before you is, Shall the 
question be now put?'" (making this the 
previous question) and a vote is then taken. 

This motion requires a two-thirds vote for 

7 



IT 

98 THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. § 98 

its adoption ; it cannot be debated or 
amended, or have any other motion applied 
to it except to lay on the table. 

98. The motion for the previous ques- 

y l', 

tion should not be confounded with the mo- 
tion to close debate, or that debate be 

.'J 

closed at a certain time. If it be moved 
that debate be now closed or that it be 
closed at a certain time, or that a certain 
time be allowed each speaker, the motion 
may be amended as to time, or if carried 
when that time arrives there may be a 
further motion "to extend the time," which 
may refer either to the one speaker whose 
time has expired, or to the debate in gen- 
eral. Notwithstanding that the motion to 
close or limit debate requires a two-thirds 
vote to carry it, it may be amended before 
adoption by a majority vote. 

If it is desired to close debate on any de- 
pendent question only, for example, the 
amendment, or amendment of the amend- 
ment, or to commit or to postpone, t^his 
limitation must be definitely stated. 

99» If the previous question be decided 
in the affirmative (two-thirds vote) — i. e., 



'«* . 



§ 99 THE PR EVIOUS QUESTION. 99 

that the question shall be now put, all de- 
bate or offering of new motions or amend- 
ments ceases and the main question is put, 
beginning with the pending question or 
amendments, if any. The vote, however, 
may be further delayed by the raising and 
decision of a question of privilege, or by 
a point of order, or by a motion to divide 
the question, or to read a paper bearing 
upon the question which is under consid- 
eration, or to decide upon the method of 
voting upon the measure. (Any of these 
questions must be decided without debate). 
If, however, there is pending a motion to 
postpone, or to commit, and the mover of 
the previous question does not specify in his 
motion that it shall apply to the postpone- 
ment or commitment, the ordering of the 
previous question cuts off either or both 
of these motions. Otherwise the will of the 
assembly in ordering an immediate vote 
might be invalidated by the postponement 
or commitment. The reason for this is 
thfct in ordering the previous question the 
assembly has decided to act upon the ques- 
tion then, instead of at some future time, 
and in the condition in which it then exists, 

LofC. 



IOO » THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. § IOO 

instead of acting upon the report of a com- ! 
mittee. It therefore cuts off all the ob- l 
structive motions. If the mover of the pre- 
vious question desires that it shall apply to 
the postponement or commitment he should 
definitely so> state it. Otherwise the previous 
question (when unlimited) applies to all 
pending questions and is not exhausted 
until a vote has been taken on all the ques- 
tions then pending. 

ioo. The previous question applies to all 
debatable motions. It is sometimes moved 
by the mover of a resolution or motion at 
the same time the resolution or motion is 
offered. This is, however, a very unparlia- 
mentary proceeding, and the same reasons 
will apply as in note to Sec. 96. There- 
fore the chair should not recognize any sub- 
sidiary motion when offered with a main 
motion until the other side has had an op- 
portunity to be heard. 

101. The previous question may be 
moved on a pending amendment or amend- 
ments only (if so specified) and when so 
moved it cuts off debate and further amend- 



, 



§ IOI THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. IOl 

ment until the questions upon which it is 
moved have been voted on, when the pre- 
vious question is exhausted and has no 
further influence. Or, if several questions 
are before the assembly the previous ques- 
tion may (if this limitation is specified) be 
moved on the pending question only, when 
that is a debatable one, and if it is adopted, 
debate closes on the pending question only. 
After the pending question has been voted 
on the main question is again open to de- 
bate. If, however, it is not so specified in 
the motion and the previous question is 
ordered, nothing but an adjournment or 
one of the questions noted in Sec. 99 
— upon which debate is barred — can inter- 

Note. — In small societies or meetings there is 
not much use for the previous question, since the 
members are generally unwilling to shut off dis- 
cussion. In such assemblies said motion would 
be impolitic, as well as unjust to the minority, 
but in large or legislative assemblies where there 
is a disposition to use debate, or to filibuster for 
the sole purpose of wasting time and preventing 
action, a due regard for the interest of all often 
calls for some provision for closing debate, and 
in such cases the use of the previous question is 
one of the necessities of orderly business. 



102 POSTPONE TO A CERTAIN TIME. § 102 

vene to prevent an immediate vote on all 
questions to which it applies, together with 
the main question. "If an adjournment is 
had after the previous question is ordered, 
the subject comes up the first thing after 
the reading of the minutes the next meet- 
ing and the previous question still operates, 
making the main question privileged over 
all other business whether new or unfin- 
ished. " — Reed's rules, Sec. 125. [See also 
sections 73, 75]. 

POSTPONE TO A CERTAIN TIME. 

102. If a question arises which the as- 
sembly prefers not to decide at once, or if 
the members desire further time for reflec- 
tion or examination than they then pos- 
sess, or if they desire to take up some other 
business, the question then under considera- 
tion may be postponed to a certain day or 
hour, but such postponement should not be 
to a day when the assembly will not be 
in session — because such motion would be 
equivalent to indefinite postponement, or 
to a time beyond the next succeeding ses- 
sion, because this would be equivalent to an 



; 



^ 



§ 103 POSTPONE TO A CERTAIN TlxME. IO3 

attempt to prevent the next assembly from 
considering the question. It cannot be ap- 
plied to a subsidiary or to any of the strict- 
ly parliamentary questions alone; if moved 
when any such question is pending it re- 
lates to the main question also. 

103. A motion to postpone to a certain 
time may be amended by changing the 
time and is debatable as to the propriety of 
postponing the question, but such debate 
should be confined strictly to the motion 
and should not involve the merits of the 
question it is sought to postpone, since if 
the postponement be lost the question is 
still before the assembly for debate, or if 
carried the main question may be fully de- 
bated when again before the assembly. 
When two or more questions have been 
postponed to the same time they should be 
taken up in the order in which they were 
postponed, even though they are not taken 
up at the time apointed, but they cannot be 
taken up before the time appointed, except 
by a motion to* take up out of order, re- 
quiring a two-thirds vote, or by a suspen- 
sion of the rules (130) for that purpose, 



I04 TO COMMIT OR RE- COMMIT. §104 

also requiring a two-thirds vote. When 
the time arrives for the question postponed 
to be taken up everything yields to it ex- 
cept privileged motions (80). When a |i 
question has been postponed to a certain 
day or hour it becomes on that day or hour 
one of the '"orders of the day" (89). 

TO COMMIT OR RE-COMMIT. 

104. Resolutions are often offered which 
are not in the best form to express the 
judgment or carry out the will of the as- 
sembly ; or questions may arise upon which 
the assembly desires more information than 
is then before it, or that need more careful 
consideration than can well be given it by 
the assembly itself, and the members may 
think the work of perfecting such a resolu- 
tion or motion can be more satisfactorily 
performed by means of a committee to in- 
quire into the merits of the question, put it 
into proper form for consideration and re- 
port its deliberations and recommendations 
to the assembly for final action. This can 
be done by a motion to commit, or if the 
subject has been already in the hands of the 
committee, to re-commit. 



§ 105 TO COMMIT OR RE-COMMIT. IO5 

105. A motion to refer to a standing com- 
mittee takes precedence of, but does not 
cut off, a motion to refer to a special com- 
mittee. 

This motion is usually made upon the 
first presentation of a question or resolu- 
tion and the assembly acts upon the report 
of the committee; it may, however, be re- 
ferred after discussion and efforts to amend 
have shown the need of more careful inves- 
tigation. The motion to commit may be 
amended by changing the committee, which 
amendment may refer to the nature of the 
committee or the number of members 
to compose the committee, or by giving 
instructions to the committee. It is de- 
batable as to the propriety of referring the' 
question to the committee, but such 
debate should not involve the merits of 
the main question, as that debate will be 
in order and the question may be fully de- 
bated when the committee reports. If how- 
ever in the motion to commit, or in an 
amendment, there be instructions as to the 
main question, then debate may be had on 
the merits of the main question, and if the 



V 



106 TO AMEND. § Io6 

motion to commit is adopted it sends all 
pending motions and amendments to the 
committee as well as the main question. 

TO AMEND. 

106. If a motion or a resolution is not 
satisfactory, or if not in the best form 
to express the judgment, or carry out the 
will of the assembly, it may in most cases 
be amended so as to modify the meaning, 
or to change the meaning entirely, even 
if such a change defeats the original pur- 
pose of the motion. An amendment must 
be germane to the question ; that is, it must 
have a direct bearing on the subject. 
While to amend means strictly to put into 
a better or more perfect form, to change 
or modify in any way, be it for better or 
worse, is called an amendment; therefore 
amendments may be used as a means of 
defeating a proposition by making it so dif- 
ferent from what the mover originally in- 
tended — as making praise out of censure 
or by so changing it that friends of the 
original question may be forced to vote 
against the motion in its amended form. 



L 



§ 107 To Amend. 107 

107. There are five forms of amendment : 

1. To insert or add certain words, Sec. 

113- 

2. To strike out certain words, Sec. 113. 

3. To strike out certain words, and in- 
sert, or add certain other words, Sec. 117. 

4. To divide the question into two or 
more questions, Sec. 128. 

5. To substitute another proposition on 
the same subject for the one under con- 
sideration, Sec. 141. 

108. Any proposition which seeks to 
merely change the vote from the affirmative 
to the negative, or vice versa, or to simply 
reverse the meaning of the proposition, 
would not be a proper amendment; for ex- 
ample, if it be moved that the assembly do 
a certain thing, it would not be in order to 
amend by inserting the word "not", or by 
striking out a word or words and to insert 
others so that the effect would be exactlv 
to deny the proposition — for example, to 
strike out the word approve, and insert dis- 
approve — because the question before the 
assembly is not changed and the object of 
such amendment is merelv to reverse the 



Io8 TO AMEND. § IO£ 

vote ; since a negative vote in one case be- 
ing equivalent to an affirmative vote in the 
other, a decision of one decides the other 
without further action. Changes in words, 
which do not affect the sense or meaning 
of the proposition are not, properly speak- 
ing, amendments, and if such action is nec- 
essary they do not require a motion, though 
such motion is not prohibited. 

. The motion to amend takes precedence of 
nothing but the question it is proposed to 
amend. The mover of a motion may offer 
an amendment to his motion, but he cannot 
speak against his motion. 

109. Amendments are often offered 
which the mover of the original motion is 
willing to accept. This he may do pro- 
vided there is no objection. In this case 
the amendment so accepted becomes a part 
of the original motion without a separate 
vote being taken upon it; but this accept- 
ance is understood to be with the consent 
of the entire assembly, as it can be pre- 
vented by the objection of any member. If 
objected to the amendment must go before 
the assembly for its adoption or rejection. 



g HO TO AMEND. IO9 

When an amendment is pending the main 
question cannot be debated except so far 
as the amendment necessarily involves the 
main question, or in so far as debate is 
necessary in order to show the propriety 
or impropriety of adopting the amendment, 
and such, debate should be limited in its 
scope to that portion of the main question 
which is involved. 

no. While an amendment is pending all 
other amendments must apply to that. 
Therefore, it would not be in order to> offer 
an amendment to a different part of the 
proposition ; the one first offered must be 
disposed of before the second would be in 
order. A member may, however, give no- 
tice of his intent to offer an amendment 
(stating its meaning) when the opportu- 
nity offers, as in such case the members 
may vote differently upon the one before 
them, but the member who thus gives no- 
tice will have no prior right to the floor 
for the purpose of presenting the proposed 
amendment ; he must get the floor regular- 
ly when the time comes for the amendment 
to be in order. 



IIO TO AMEND. § III 

in. When notice has been given that a 
proposed amendment to the constitution or 
by-laws will be acted upon at another 
meeting, it should be taken up under the 
order of "riew business," and if the pro- 
posed amendment be to a constitution or 
by-law already in force, it should be treated 
as a principal or independent motion, in- 
stead of as a subsidiary motion, as in case 
of an amendment to a proposed by-law not 
yet in force. When there is a series of [J 
propositions to be amended, as the consti- 
tution or by-laws of a society, the whole 
should be read first to give the members a 
general idea of its scope, then they should 
be considered section by section, amending 
each section if necessary in its order, but 
any section should not be adopted until all 
amendments necessary have been made, 
since it might become necessary to further 
amend an adopted section and since consti- 
tutions, by-laws, resolutions, etc., usually 
have a preamble setting forth the objects 
of the society or reasons for the action ; the 
preamble should be acted upon last, be- 
cause amendments to the constitution, by- 
laws or resolutions may require a corre- 



i 



§ 112 AMENDMENT OF AMENDMENT. Ill 

sponding alteration in the preamble. Final- 
ly, the subject should be adopted as a 
whole. 

AMENDMENT OF AN AMEND- 
MENT. 

112. When an amendment is offered and 
the amendment is not satisfactory the 
amendment may be amended by moving an 
amendment to the amendment ; but in order 
to avoid confusion and to facilitate business 
there must be some limit to the number of 
pending amendments. Therefore, practice 
has placed this limit at one primary amend- 
ment and one secondary amendment (or 
amendment of the amendment). If, how- 
ever, after the secondary amendment has 
been acted upon and either adopted or re- 
jected, or after the amendment has been 
acted upon and either adopted or rejected, 
other amendments would be in order, which 
may also be adopted or rejected, and so on 
until the assembly is satisfied, because since 
a resolution or motion may require many 
amendments to express the deliberate judg- 
ment of the assembly, the only limit to the 
number of amendments that may be made 



112 STRIKE OUT OR INSERT. § 113 

is the will of the assembly. In amending 
an amendment you may amend in any of 
the forms of amendment — i. e., by inserting 
or adding, by striking out, by striking out 
and inserting or adding, by division of the 
proposed amendment, or by substitution. 
When an amendment to< an amendment is 
before the assembly it requires three sepa- 
rate votes to decide the question. Provided 
all are carried, the questions will be as fol- 
lows : 

1. On the amendment to the amendment. 

2. On the amended amendment. 

3. On the main question as amended. 

TO STRIKE OUT OR TO INSERT 

WORDS. 

113* When it is moved to strike out words 
from a paragraph, or to strike out a para- 
graph, the words to be struck out must be 
consecutive words. Or, if it is moved to 
insert words into a paragraph the words to 
be inserted must be inserted together and 
the description of the words to be struck 
out and the place it is proposed to insert 



8 1 14 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. 1 1 3 

others should be definite. Otherwise the 
rule prohibiting amending different parts 
of the proposition at the same time would 
be violated. 

EFFECT OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION 

1 14.. If the motion to strike out certain 
words from a paragraph be decided in the 
affirmative, then the words so struck out 
cease to be a part of the paragraph and 
(unless by a reconsideration [135] of the 
vote by which they were struck out) can- 
not be reinstated in whole or in part, ex- 
cept with other words — because the as- 
sembly has decided they shall not in their 
present form stand as a part of the para- 
graph, but the same words with others, or 
part of the same words with others may be 
again inserted, provided they constitute a 
proposition different from the one already 
decided. 

EFFECT OF NEGATIVE ACTION. 

115* So if a motion to strike out certain 
words is rejected it cannot be renewed as 

8 



114 NEGATIVE ACTION. § Il6 

to the same words, or part of the same 
words, because the assembly by deciding in 
the negative as to striking out has really 
adopted the words (a negative decision in 
one case is equivalent to an affirmative in 
the other) ; the assembly has by vote de- 
cided said words shall stand as a part of 
the proposition, and (unless by reconsid- 
eration) it cannot be so amended. It may, 
however, be moved that the same words 
with others or part of the same words with 
others be struck out, provided with the 
other words said motion constitutes prac- 
tically a new proposition. j 

116. The same rules will apply to a mo- 
tion to insert certain words in a paragraph, j 
If the motion to insert be decided in the;. 
affirmative, then the words so inserted, or 
any of them, cannot be struck out except 
with other words. And then only when 
with the other words they present a new 
proposition. So if the motion to insert is 
rejected, it cannot be repeated as to the 
same words, or part of them—- because by a 
negative decision on the vote to insert the 
assembly has decided said words in their 



S Il7 STRIKE OUT AND INSERT. II5 

present form shall not become a part of the 
proposition, and having been once acted 
upon it cannot be renewed as an amend- 
• ment, but it may be moved to insert the 
I same words with others, or part of the 
j same words with others, provided the said 
i motion presents a new proposition. This 
is upon the principle that what has been 
agreed to by an assembly on vote, either 
adopting or rejecting, becomes the judg- 
ment of the assembly and cannot be again 
brought into question at that session unless 
the former vote is reconsidered. 

TO STRIKE OUT AND INSERT 

WORDS. 

117- If the motion be to strike out certain 
words and insert other words, said motion 
is a combination of the other two forms — 
to strike out, and to insert — and if the mo- 
tion prevails the words so struck out, or 
any of them, cannot be again inserted ex- j 
cept with other words, or the words so in- 
serted, or any of them, cannot be struck out 
except with other words. 



Il6 CANNOT BE CHANGED. § Il8 

This, however, does not prevent a fur- 
ther use of the motion to strike out; or to 
insert, or to strike out and insert, as the 
same words with others or part of the same 
words with others may be again inserted, 
or the same words with others, of part of 
the same words with others, may be struck 
out, provided a new proposition is thereby 
presented : because, inasmuch as said mo- 
tion is a combination of the other two mo- 
tions if rejected, while it cannot be renewed 
in the same form, it is subject to a great 
variety of changes; for example, if it be 
moved to strike out A and B and insert 
C and D, and the motion is rejected, it does 
not prevent a motion to strike out A and B 
and insert nothing, or to insert C only or 
D only, or to insert E, or to strike out noth- 
ing and insert C and D, or C only, or D 
only, or in fact any way by which a new 
proposition is presented. 

118. One motion cannot be changed into 
another, under color of amendment, or no 
amendment which has the effect of chang- 
ing one form of motion into another, is in 
order. For example, a motion to adjourn 



k 



S Il8 CANNOT BE CHANGED. 1 1 7 

to meet at 7 130 p. m. could not be amended 
by striking out all after adjourn, because it 
changes it from a qualified to an unquali- 
fied motion ; or a motion fixing the time 
could not be amended by striking out the 
time and inserting the place of meeting. 

*Note — As a rule, the motion to strike out and 
insert is indivisible, because it might lead to con- 
fusion, and is held by most authorities to be 
strictly one proposition, since if the proposition 
to strike out is rejected the proposition to insert 
would fall of its own weight ; or the words, if in- 
serted, might destroy the sense of the motion or 
resolution. Therefore, the chairman should ex- 
ercise his best judgment as to whether the ques- 
tions presented are properly divisible, for since it 
is a combination of the two forms — to strike out 
and to insert — there seems to be no good reason 
why this question may not be divided into these 
two forms, provided each of the propositions into 
which it is proposed to divide the question is a 
distinct proposition, capable of standing by itself 
if the other is not adopted. 

(For further description of this form of amend- 
ment see division of the question, Sec. 128). 



Il8 AS APPLIED TO PARAGRAPHS. §119 

AS APPLIED TO PARAGRAPHS. 

119. If it is moved to strike out a para- 
graph, then a new principle is involved, be- 
cause inasmuch as the whole paragraph is 
to be struck out there will be nothing left 
upon which to ingraft an amendment, and 
if struck out it cannot be restored in whole 
or in part, or if the motion to strike out is 
rejected the assembly has really adopted 
the paragraph and it cannot be amended; 
therefore, it must be amended before the 
vote to strike out is taken, if at all. For 
this reason, the rule as to striking out and 
inserting words is modified when applied to 
striking out and inserting paragraphs. 

120. When it is moved to strike out a 
paragraph the friends of the paragraph 
have a right to perfect the paragraph by 
amendment before the vote to strike out is f 
taken. Or if it be moved to insert a para- .) 
graph, the assembly may modify the para- « 
graph by amendment pending the motion ji 
to insert — because if the motion prevails \\ 
the paragraph so inserted cannot be amend- 
ed at that session ; hence, it must be 
amended before it is inserted, if at all. 



8 121 AS APPLIED TO PARAGRAPHS. II9 

The only way by which action could be 
reversed at that session would be to recon- 
sider the vote by which said paragraph was 
struck out, or inserted. This reconsidera- 
tion, if it prevailed, would place the ques- 
tion again before the assembly in precisely 
the same condition as before the vote to 
strike out or insert was taken, and then the 
desired amendment would be in order. 

121. If the motion is to strike out one 
paragraph and insert another, said motion 
takes on the form of a substitute (141), 
and as such the friends of the paragraph it 
is proposed to strike out, and the friends 
of the paragraph it is proposed to insert 
(beginning with the proposition to strike 
out), have the right to perfect said para- 
graphs by amendment before the test vote ; 
because by said proposition the assembly 
would otherwise have simply a choice be- 
tween two paragraphs, neither of which 
might be fully acceptable, and if the motion 
prevailed the paragraph struck out could 
not be restored, and the paragraph inserted 
could not be struck out or amended. 



120 TO POSTPONE INDEFINITELY. § 122 

If the assembly desires to reject both 
propositions, that is, the original paragraph 
and the one it is proposed to insert, it 
should reject the motion to strike out and 
insert, and then by a new motion strike out 
the original paragraph. (See also substi- 
tute Sec. 141.) 

Note. — It is the common practice in legislative 
assemblies after a bill has been perfected by 
amendment in committee to move to strike out 
all after the "enacting clause" and substitute the 
bill as perfected, or to amend a resolution by 
stiking out all after the word "resolved'' and sub- 
stituting another resolution on the same subject. 

If the "enacting clause" is struck out the bill is 
deprived of the words which give it life and make 
it law, and it is thus defeated. , 

(See also note to Sec. 143.) 

TO POSTPONE INDEFINITELY. ■ 

122. The object of this motion is to de- 
feat the question by removing it from be- 
fore the assembly for that session. After 
an affirmative decision on the postpone- 
ment the question upon which it is moved 
or any question of substantially the same 



k 



§122 TO POSTPONE INDEFINITELY. 121 

nature cannot be again introduced at that 
session. 



The motion to postpone is not only de- 
batable as to the propriety of postponing, 
but it also opens to debate the merits of the. 
whole range of pending propositions to as 
great an extent as if they were directly 
before the assembly. It cannot be amend- 
ed, postponed, committed, or tabled, but 
may be reconsidered. It cannot be applied 
to any subsidiary question alone, but if 
moved while a subsidiary motion is pend- 
ing it relates to the main question also. 

Note. — Some authorities hold that the motion 
for indefinite postponement should have no place 
in parliamentary law, or at least should be allowed 
only when authorized by special rule, because the 
object of the mover, which is not to postpone, 
but to defeat the question, could be accomplished 
as quickly and effectually by a negative vote on 
the main question. Further, since an affirmative 
vote on the postponement is equivalent to a nega- 
tive vote on the main question, the use of this mo- 
tion not only gives the opponents of the measure 
the advantage of an affirmative vote, which is an 
important one where the members are indifferent 
as to the result, but also serves to furnish the op- 



122 INCIDENTAL MOTIONS. ■§ 1 23 

ponents of the main question a test of strength at 
any stage of the proceedings without any risk to 
themselves or advantage to the friends of the 
measure except such as results from such an ex- 
hibition of strength. If the postponement is lost 
the opposition would still have another opportun- 
ity to defeat the main question when it comes to a 
final vote. This use of the motion is a strategic 
one, valuable when the opposition is doubtful of 
its strength. On the other hand, in spite of the 
reasons offered against the motion to postpone 
indefinitely, it is, if properly used, simple and 
helpful, and it is, therefore, recommended. 

Because the motion to amend is generally re- 
garded as higher in rank than indefinite post- 
ponement, some authorities hold that it is not in 
order to move to postpone indefinitely while an 
amendment is pending; but that it is in order 
after the amendment has been acted upon, 
and the main question, either amended of not 
amended, is before the assembly. This, however, 
is not now the practice in deliberative assemblies, 
unless authorized by special rule. 

(See also note to Sec. 73c.) 

INCIDENTAL MOTIONS. 

123. Incidental motions (sometimes called 
dependent motions) are those which legiti- 
mately arise out of other questions imme- 



§ 124 APPEAL. 123 

diately pending and are capable of inter- 
rupting the question to which they are in- 
cidental. Therefore, when the necessity 
for an incidental motion arises it takes pre- 
cedence of and supersedes all pending 
propositions, and should be decided before 
the questions which give rise to it. 

Appeal. 

Objection to consideration. 
Division of a question. 
Suspension of the rules. 

APPEAL. 

124. The will of the majority is the su- 
preme power in all deliberative assemblies. 
If, therefore, any member thinks the chair- 
man has not decided the question correctly, 
or in accordance with justice, or if he con- 
siders himself aggrieved by a decision of the 
chairman, or if any member desires to cor- 
rect a decision of the chair which was has- 
tily or erroneously made, or possibly made 
under undue influence, it is the privilege of 
any member to appeal to the assembly. The 
object of an appeal is to give the assembly 
an opportunity to correct such decision. 



! 

1^4 APPEAL. § 125 j 

I 

The form is, "I appeal from the decision [ : 
of the chair. " An appeal must be made at 
once or the question is presumed to have . 
been correctly decided and is not afterward 
subject to appeal. This does not require 
recognition from the chair, is debatable, | 
unless it refers to indecorum, or a violation 
of the rules, or to priority of business. The 
presiding officer has precedence, and also 
the right to speak without leaving his chair. 

While a point of order (32) is unde- 
batable, unless so requested by the chair, 
an appeal from a decision of the chair on a 
point of order is debatable. If, however, 
any appeal has interrupted an undebatable 
question, it is then undebatable. 

125. When an appeal is made the chair- 
man may or may not state his reasons for 
his decision without leaving the chair, and 
say, "Shall the decision of the chair be sus- 
tained?" when a vote will be taken. If the 
vote is in the affirmative, the chair is sus- 
tained, or if the vote is a tie the chair is 
sustained, because a decision of the chair 
can only be reversed by a majority of the 
assembly. If the vote is in the negative 



§ 126 OBJECTION TO CONSIDERATION. 1 25 

the appeal is sustained and the decision is 
changed accordingly. 

An appeal is net in order when another 
appeal is pending. It may be made when 
the previous question (97) is pending; but 
if made at such a time the appeal cannot 
be debated. It cannot be amended. It 
may be reconsidered whether the decision 
of the chair is, or is not, sustained, unless 
immediate action has followed the vote on 
the appeal. An appeal may be laid on the 
table, but the effect of laying it on the table 
is to sustain the chair only until the appeal 
is acted upon. The appeal, if laid on the 
table, does not carry to the table the ques- 
tion to which it is incidental. 

OBJECTION TO CONSIDERATION. 

126. An objection may be made to the 
consideration of any principal motion, or- 
der of the day, conference report, or reso- 
lution, by any member, if he considers it 
devoid of interest, out of place, calculated 
to make trouble, or irrelevant to the object 
of the assembly, or for other reasons; but 



w 



126 OBJECTION TO CONSIDERATION. § 1 26 

the objection can be made only when the 
question is first presented or before debate 
has begun. 

The question of consideration applies 
only to such questions as bring a subject 
before the assembly for consideration, and 
not to 1 any strictly parliamentary motion. 
For example, to adjourn,* to lay on the 
table, to> amend, to commit, etc. It can be 
made when another member has the floor, 
or the chairman may put an objection on 
his own responsibility. 

It does not require to be seconded, can- 
not be debated, or amended, or have any 
other motion applied to it ; and upon the 
principle that when a motion has been made 
and seconded a simple majority cannot dis- 
pose of the question without debate ; it re- 
quires a two-thirds negative vote to sup- 
press the question. 

*Note. — The motion fixing the time or place to 
which to adjourn (if made when no question is 
before the assembly) would be a principal motion; 
but the question of consideration would not apply. 



ft 



S 127 OBJECTION TO CONSIDERATION. 1 27 

127. The form is, "I object to the consider- 
ation of the question." This does not re- 
quire recognition from the chair, or to be 
seconded. 

When the objection is made the chair- 
man says, "Shall the question be consid- 
ered ?" and a vote is then taken. If decided 
in the negative (two-thirds vote), the 
whole matter is dismissed for that session, 
unless reconsidered. If the negative vote 
is less than two-thirds the question is be- 
fore the assembly for consideration. Ob- 
jection to the consideration of any question 
is seldom made in legislative assemblies or 
in assemblies of a political nature; in such 
assemblies the motion is not in general use, 
unless authorized by special rule; but in 
fraternal societies, in order to prevent the 
discussion of political questions or such 
questions as are peculiarly objectionable 
and tend to create ill-feeling among the 
members, the question may be profitably 
used and is, therefore, recommended. 






128 DIVISION OF A QUESTION. § I2& 

DIVISION OF A QUESTION. 

128. When a question is composed of 
two or more propositions, and these prop- 
ositions are so far independent of each 
other that if one were adopted and the 
others rejected it would still be an intel- 
ligible expression of the opinion of the as- 
sembly, the question may be divided to 
enable the assembly to vote on each propo- 
sition separately. 



The division cannot be demanded as the 
right of any member, but the question may 
be divided by the chair (subject to an ap- 
peal to the assembly) or by a motion regu- 
larly made and seconded for the purpose; 
but each proposition into which it is pro- 
posed to divide the question must be dis- 
tinct and capable of standing upon its own 
merits if none of the other propositions 
were adopted. In other words, the division 
of a question is a form of amendment used 
to secure a separate vote on different parts 
of a motion or resolution, and is subject to 
all rules governing amendments. It may 
be amended by dividing the question dif- 



!§ 129 SUSPENSION OF THE RULES. 1 29 

■jferently, and is debatable if the question it 
lis sought to divide is debatable. 

[J 129. When the motion for the division is 
I made the mover should specify in his mo- 
tion the manner in which he proposes to 
makes the- division by stating the word 
with which each part ends ; but since the 
last part must end with the last word of 
the motion or resolution, that ending 
should not be included in the motion to di- 
vide. If the vote be in the affirmative each 
[(proposition created by the division must be 
i 'acted upon separately (and in its turn, be- 
jginning with the first) and if debatable, 
each in its turn may be debated. 



j When the motion for the division has 
peen rejected, and the object of the motion 
jwas to accept one proposition and reject 
another, then the desired object may be ac- 
complished by the motion to strike out 
(113), or by offering a substitute (141). 

SUSPENSION OF THE RULES. 

130. When the rules of an assembly in- 
terfere with the speedy transaction of any 



1 



w 



I30 SUSPENSION OF THE RULES. § 1 3 

business which it is desired to bring at 0110 
to completion, or when it seems desirable 
to take up some other business out of it 
proper order, the rules of the assembly ma^ 
be suspended for the purpose of admitting 
that business, and any member may movi? 
the suspension of the rules that interfere 
[*see note;] but since the rules should nc| 
be suspended except for a definite purpose! 
the mover of the motion must specify in hi; 
motion the object of the suspension. Ij< 
there 4s no objection, the rules may be sus 
pending without the formality of a motior 
A rule can be suspended only temporarily 
therefore, any permanent change must g< 
through the regular process of amendment 

I 
t 

*Note. — If, however, the assembly is but 
branch of some parent organization (as in fr? 
ternal orders) and is governed by the rules of thJ 
organization, the subordinate body cannot suspen 
the rules regularly adopted by the superior bod 
for the government of such subordinate bodies, j 

An assembly cannot suspend any part of i J 
Constitution or By-laws even by a unanimoi! 
vote, unless the Constitution or By-laws provic 
for such suspension. No rule of parliamentaij 
law can be suspended for any purpose. 






i 131 MISCELLANEOUS MOTIONS. 131 

131. The form is, "I move the suspension 
f the rules that interfere with (specifying 
ne object of the suspension)." This mo- 
on cannot be debated, or amended, or have 

my other motion applied to it, and in the 
ibsence of any special rule requires a two- 
thirds vote for its adoption. If acted upon 
: cannot be renewed at the same meeting 
fpr the same purpose, but the motion may 
:e made at the next meeting, even when 
lat meeting is held the same day. 

MISCELLANEOUS MOTIONS. 

132. Miscellaneous motions are those that 
:n account of the rules which govern them 
:annot be included in any of the other 
lasses. 

To fill blanks. 
Reading of papers. 
To reconsider. 
To rescind. 
To substitute. 



TO FILL BLANKS. 

I33« Sometimes resolutions are intro- 
uced, or reports of committees made, in 



132 TO FILL BLANKS. § 1 3 

which blanks are left to be filled by th! 
assembly. It is not necessary to make J 
motion to fill them (although such a motio: 
is not prohibited), but any number of per 
sons may suggest the number with whicl 
to fill them. ' ji 

if 
This motion or suggestion does not rq 1 

quire to be seconded, because it is the riglf 

i] 1 

of any member to suggest one name, date 
place, or sum for the consideration of thj 
assembly, whether anyone else coincide, 
with him or not. 

1 
The second, or any number following, i 

not to be considered as an amendment, ,f op 

the reason that the rule applied to amend 

'ments — first come, first served — does ncj 

apply in filling blanks, but the filling Oj 

the blank should be decided by putting t 

vote, beginning with that number or tint 

which is likely to unite the few T est membeij 

in its support, and if this is rejected ttii 

next number or time, and so on until oi]i 

receives votes sufficient to adopt it. Afte 

the blank has been filled, the resolution dl 

report is ready for adoption, rejection c 






k 134 READING OF PAPERS. 133 

Verification by the assembly, and may be 
amended like any other proposition. 

I READING OF PAPERS. 

134. Every member of an assembly has a 
right to hear a paper once read before a 
:imal vote on it. There should, however, be 
1 reasonable limit to the number of times 
\he request may be made, because the delay 
'which would naturally ensue from reading 
^very paper that might be called for might 
nconsume the principal part of the session, 
jjjeaving but little time for action. 

Whenever any member asks for the 
eading of any paper which is then under 
Consideration, and it is evident that the re- 
quest is made for the purpose of gaining 
information and not for the sake of delay, 
|he chairman should direct that the paper 
be read. 

The reading of any paper upon which a 
i|inal vote is not being taken is not in order, 
f anyone objects. 

I If there is an objection, leave may be 
obtained of the assembly for its reading by 



134 TO RECONSIDER. § 135 

a motion and vote for that purpose; but 
this motion cannot be debated or amended. 

TO RECONSIDER. ! 

i 1 

l 35* When a motion, or an amendment; 
or a resolution has been acted upon, it isj 
sometimes found advisable afterward to 
modify, reverse, or otherwise change the' 
action taken. This can be done by a motion 
to reconsider the vote by which said action! 
was taken. (For exceptions, see Sec. 138.) 
The motion to reconsider is in order even 
after a vote to adjourn has been taken, ify 
the result of the vote to adjourn has not 
been announced by the chair, and for the^ 
purpose of having the motion to reconsider 
entered upon the minutes it is in order toi 
interrupt a member speaking (*note), but! 
cannot further interfere with the business 1 
or discussion then before the assembly, and 
cannot be acted upon when any other busi-j 
ness is before the assembly. 



b 



*Note. — For the purpose of defeating action of 
an assembly at which there is not present a fair 
representation of the members, or when it is evi- 
dent that such action does not express the will of- 



A 136 TO RECONSIDER. I35 

a majority of the members, it is -well to have a 
special rule allowing the member who has notice 
of a reconsideration entered on the minutes the 
sole right to call it up at the meeting at which 
jthe notice was given. Such a rule would give 
jample time to notify the absent members, that all 
who are interested may be present, and while it 
: may work an injury in some cases, the benefit to 
be derived from such a rule controlling reconsid- 
eration when the time is short, will more than 
overbalance the evil. 

It cannot be amended and it may be laid 

on the table (for effect, see Sec. 95d). It 

^requires only a majority vote, regardless 

of the vote necessary to adopt the action it 

is sought to reconsider. 

It is debatable or undebatable, as the 
question it is sought to reconsider was de- 
batable or undebatable, and if debatable it 
opens to debate the merits of the question 
sought to be reconsidered, even though the 
action it is sought to reconsider was passed 
under the previous question. 

136. The motion to reconsider must be 
made by one who voted on the prevailing 
side — that is, by one of the successful party 



I36 TO RECONSIDER. § x 37 

on the former vote, be it in the majority or 
minority — and at the same meeting the 
vote was taken it is proposed to reconsider; 
or if the assembly holds a meeting on the 
next succeeding day (Sunday and holidays 
not included) and no* action authorized by 
said vote has been taken, the reconsidera- 
tion may be moved at the next meeting; or 
if there is on another day before the next 
regular session an adjourned meeting of 
the one at which the vote it is proposed to 
reconsider was taken, and the mover gives 
notice before the adjournment of the meet- j 
ing at which the vote was taken of his in- ' 
tention to move a reconsideration, it may 
be called up at the adjourned meeting. If, 
however, the vote which it is proposed to 
reconsider was taken by ballot, the right to 
move a reconsideration would destroy the 
secrecy of the vote, which is the chief ob- 
ject of the ballot, and in such cases, except 
in cases of elections (when a reconsidera- 
tion is not permissible), any member may j 
move to reconsider. 

137. After the motion to reconsider has 
been entered on the minutes it suspends all 



§ 137 TO RECONSIDER. 137 

action required by the original vote until 
the motion to reconsider has been disposed 
of; but if not called up its effect termin- 
ates with the expiration of the time during 
which it is in order to act upon the recon- 
sideration, and when called up if the re- 
consideration carries, it places the question 
again before the assembly in precisely the 
same condition as before voted on, and the 
presiding officer should again put the ques- 
tiQn to vote. It does not follow, however, 
that the reconsideration when called up 
must be decided immediately, as unless the 
previous question (97) is ordered it is sub- 
ject to postponement, commitment or any 
other action. 



If the reconsideration is upon the main 
question the reconsideration may be laid 
on the table or postponed ; but when ap- 
plied to any dependent question having a 
direct bearing upon and adhering to the 
main question it cannot be tabled or post- 
poned without carrying with it the main 
question. 



I38 TO RECONSIDER. § 138 

If the vote on the reconsideration is lost, 
the effect is to clinch or reaffirm the former 
vote, which then stands safe from reversal. 

138. Reconsideration is applicable to al- 
most all motions ; the exceptions are the 
motion to adourn, an affirmative vote to 
lay on the table, suspension of the rules, 
elections to office, the motion to reconsider 
itself, or any action that has been wholly 
or partly executed, or that has determined 
or influenced subsequent proceedings, or 
caused action that cannot be reversed. No 
question can be twice reconsidered ; but if 
on reconsideration an amendment has been 
adopted making a material change another 
reconsideration may be had, because the 
question before the assembly is by reason 
of the amencjment a different one. 

139. An amended motion must be recon- 
sidered before the amendment; hence, 
whenever an amended motion has been 
adopted, a motion to reconsider an amend- 
ment previously adopted would not be in 
order ; it would be necessary first to recon- 
sider the vote by which the amended mo- 



§ I4O TO RESCIND. 139 

tion was carried, and if the reconsideration 
prevailed a motion to reconsider the amend- 
ment would be in 'order. 

If the previous question is ordered when 
this motion is pending, it applies only to 
the motion to reconsider, and if the vote on 
the reconsideration is in the affirmative the 
question for reconsideration is again before 
the assembly. 

TO RESCIND. 

140. When an assembly desires to annul 
or reverse an action taken at some former 
meeting, and it is too late to reconsider 
such action because the motion to recon- 
sider had not been made within the pre- 
scribed time, the proper procedure is to 
rescind. 

The motion to reconsider and to rescind 
should not be confounded, since it is not 
in order to move to rescind during the time 
a motion to reconsider is in order ; in other 
words, reconsider an action taken at this 
meeting, rescind an action taken at some 
former meeting. 



I4O TO SUBSTITUTE. § I4I 

The motion to rescind is debatable if the 
action it is sought to rescind was debatable, 
and any subsidiary action may be taken 
upon it. It requires the same vote as did 
the question to which it refers. 

It cannot be reconsidered, because it is 
in itself a reconsideration of the former 
vote. If decided in the affirmative the 
former action is rescinded; if decided in 
the negative the former action is re- 
affirmed. 






. TO SUBSTITUTE. 

141. A substitute is really equivalent < to 
the amendment to strike out and insert, and 
is governed by the same rules. It is usually 
applied to a whole paragraph, or to a whole 
amendment ; there is nothing, however, to 
prevent the substitution of certain words 
for words in the main or pending question, 
or to substitute one motion for another: 
but the words or proposition it is proposed 
to substitute must be germane or relevant 
to the original proposition. 

\ 






§ I42 TO SUBSTITUTE. I4I 

It, therefore, embodies the two forms of 
amendment : to strike out a paragraph, and 
to insert another. If a question is under 
amendment a substitute for the whole is not 
in order until the amendment is first dis- 
posed of. 

142. Example: 

A offers a motion. 

B offers a substitute for the motion, 

C offers an amendment to the substitute. 

The above should be acted upon in in- 
verse order, i. e., beginning with C, unless 
the friends of A's motion desire to perfect 
it by amendment before the substitute is 
acted upon. The friends of both — the mo- 
tion and the substitute — beginning with the 
motion, have a right to perfect them before 
the test vote is taken. 

Example : 

A offers a motion. 
B offers an amendment. 
C offers an amendment to the amend- 
ment. 

D offers a substitute for A's motion. 
E offers an amendment to the substitute. 



I42 TO SUBSTITUTE. § I 43 

In this example A's motion should first 
be perfected by acting upon its pending 
amendments and such other amendments 
as may be offered, then the substitute 
should be perfected in like manner, then 
comes the test vote to ascertain if the as- 
sembly prefers the substitute as perfected 
instead of the motion as perfected. If the 
result of the vote is in the negative, then 
the question recurs on the adoption or re- 
jection of the motion as perfected. 

If the test vote is in the affirmative the 
question recurs on the adoption or rejection 
of the substitute, as perfected. 

i43« If the result of the test vote is in the 
affirmative, then the substitute takes the 
place of the proposition for which it was 
offered and is the question before the as- 
sembly ; it, therefore, follows that if the 
proposition for which it was offered is one 
that had been acted upon and was in force 
(such as a section of the by-laws), then the 
substitute is in force without further action. 
. If, however, the substitute was offered for 
so lie proposed action which the assembly 






A 144 ORDER OF BUSINESS. I43 

has not yet adopted, it is simply a question 
as to which the assembly prefers, and if the 
substitute is carried it takes the place of 
such proposed action and is subject to fur- 
ther modification by amendment, postpone- 
ment, commitment, or other action. The 
assembly may reject both motion and sub- 
stitute. 

Note. — In legislative assemblies bills are 
often referred to a committee to examine and put 
into proper iovm, with such recommendations as 
the committee may offer for the action of the as- 
sembly. And said committee, after deliberation, 
often offers another bill on the same subject as a 
substitute for the original bill, or any member 
may offer such a substitute. This is what is 
known as a "substitute bill." 

ORDER OF BUSINESS. 

144. Since societies are organized and 
meetings held for such a variety of pur- 
poses, it is impossible to give an order of 
business acceptable to all societies or meet- 
ings. Inasmuch as some order of business 
should be adopted to restrain individual 
members from calling up favorite measures 
or business out of its proper order, it is 



144 ORDER OF BUSINESS. § 1 44 

necessary that any society having a perma- 
nent existence should arrange in advance 
the order that will be most suitable for the 
transaction of its business — though the or- 
der must necessarily depend upon the na- 
ture and amount of business to be trans- 
acted. In the absence of such special ar- 
rangement, or of a constitutional provision, 
the following will be found suitable for or- 
dinary purposes : 

Call to order. 

Reading and approval of the minutes. 

Reports of standing committees. 

Reports of special committees. 

Unfinished business. 

New business. 

Adjournment. 

It will be readily seen that the above 
form may be modified by inserting other 
orders, or by changing their arrangement 
in any manner that will best serve the inter- 
est of the organization. Since no form that 
could be given here would be suitable for 
all cases, each society must judge for itself 
as to the extent of such modification. 




45 PRACTICAL LESSONS. I45 

PRACTICAL LESSONS. 



145. For the purpose of illustrating by 

practice some of the questions that may 

jarise in any assembly, let us suppose a 

^neeting has been called to discuss some of 

the current topics or political questions of 

the day. Shortly after the time for which 

;the meeting was called some member will 

jise, face the assembly, and say : "The 

neeting will please come to order." He 

jnay here state briefly the object of the 

[neeting, and conclude his remarks by say- 

ng, "Nominations for chairman are in or- 

i 



er." 



Mr. Newton (rising) : I nominate Mr. 
\dler for chairman. 

The Acting Chairman : Mr. Adler has 
been nominated. Are there other nomina- 
tions? (After a short pause.) As many as 
favor Mr. Adler for chairman say Aye. 
.(Those opposed, No. 

If the ayes are in majority he will say: 

The ayes have it. Mr. Adler is elected 

:}nd will please take the chair/' 
10 



I46 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 1 46 



Or if the noes are in majority he will 
say : "The noes have it. There is no elec- 
tion. Nominations for chairman are again 
in order." - 4 ! 

When the chairman is elected he takes ; 
the chair and proceeds to complete the or- 
ganization by the election of a secretary. 
This election is conducted the same as the 
election of a chairman, except that since the j 
chairman is elected he has the power of 
recognition in deciding who has the floor. 
Therefore, when any member desires to in- r 
troduce any business, or speak on any sub- 
ject, he must first obtain the floor by rising 
and saying, "Mr. Chairman," and wait un~ 
til recognized. 

146. Mr. Hansell (rising): Mr. Chair-.; 
man. 



7 



The Chairman : Mr. Hansell. 

Mr. Hansell: I nominate Mr. Newton 
for secretary. 

The Chairman: Mr. Newton has beem 
nominated. Are there other nominations? 

. . . As many as favor Mr. Newton for 









§ 147 PRACTICAL, LESSONS. I47 

i secretary say aye. Those opposed, no. . . . 
■ The ayes have it. Mr. Newton is elected 
and will please assume the duties of secre- 
1 tary. 

'! 147- Mr. Briggs (rising) : Mr. Chair- 
I man. 

[ The Chairman : Mr. Briggs. 

j Mr. Briggs : I move the adoption of the 
I resolution. Resolved, That Education 
1 should be compulsory. 

I Mr. Brown (rising) : I second the mo- 
I tion. 

1 The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to adopt the resolution. Resolved, 
That Education should be compulsory. 

I Are you ready for the question ? 

j Mr. Dalton (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend the resolution by inserting 
the words "in the grammar grades" after 
the word education. 

Mr. Kane (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 



I48 PRACTICAL, LESSONS. § 1 48 

The Chairman: It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the resolution by inserting 
the words "in the grammar grades" after 
the word education. So that the resolution, 
if amended, will be, Resolved, That educa- 
tion in the grammar grades should be com- 
pulsory. Are you ready for the question? 
(Amendment debatable.) As many as 
favor the amendment say aye. . . . Those 
opposed, no. . . . The ayes have it. The 
amendment is adopted. The question now 
recurs on the amended resolution, Re- 
solved, That education in the grammar 
grades should be compulsory. Are you 
ready for the question ? As many as favor 
the amended resolution say aye. . . . ! 
Those opposed, no. . . . The ayes have it. \ 
The amended resolution is adopted. 



\ 



r 



148. Mr. Colvin (obtaining the floor) : I 
move the adoption of the resolution, Re- 
solved, That High Schools should be main- 
tained at public expense. 



P 



Mr. Little (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 



/ 



§148 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 49 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to adopt the resolution, Resolved, 
That High Schools should be maintained at 
public expense. Are you ready for the 
auestion ? 

Mr. Lissenden (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend the resolution by striking 
out the word High. 

Mr. Newton (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman: It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the resolution by striking 
out the word High. So that the resolution, 
if amended, will be : Resolved, That schools 
should be maintained at public expense. 
Are you ready for the question? (Amend- 
ment debatable.) As many as favor the 
amendment say aye. . . . Those opposed, 
no. ... The ayes have it. The amend- 
ment is adopted. The question now recurs 
on the amended resolution, Resolved, That 
schools should be maintained at public ex- 
pense. Are you ready for the question? 
As many as are in favor say aye. *. . . 
Those opposed, no. The ayes have it. The 
amended resolution is adopted. 






& 



150 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 1 49 

149* Mr. Rollins (obtaining the floor) : I 
move we adjourn. 

Mr. Clancy (rising) : I second the mo- j 
tion. 

The Chairman: It is moved and sec- 
onded that we adjourn. Are you ready for 
the question? (Undebatable.) 

Mr. Scales (obtaining the floor) : I move 
that when we adjourn it shall be to meet in 
Handel Hall next Tuesday, 7 130 p. m. 

Mr. Kane (rising): I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman: It is moved and sec- 
onded that when we adjourn it shall be to 
meet in Handel Hall next Tuesday at 7 :30 
p. m. Are you ready for the question? 

(The question is now open to amendment as to 
the time or place of meeting; but since it inter- 
rupts the undebatable motion — to adjourn — it can- 
not be debated.) 

Mr. Colvin (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend by striking out the word 
Handel and inserting the word Studebaken 



$ 149 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 151 

!|i Mr. Peters (rising) : I second the mo- 
il tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
i] onded to amend the motion by striking out 

the word Handel and inserting Studebaker. 

So that the motion, if amended, will be : 
] \ That when we adjourn it shall be to meet in 

Studebaker Hall next Tuesday at 7 130 

m 

p. m. Are you ready for the question? 
J (Undebatable.) 

Mr. Harter (obtaining the floor) : \ 
move to amend by striking out 7 130 and in- 
serting 8. 

Mr. Kane (rising) : I second the mo- 
ll tion. 

The Chairman : The chair rules the 
amendment offered not in order, because it 
does not apply to the amendment before the 
assembly — striking out the word Handel and 
inserting Studebaker. It is in fact an 
amendment to a different part of the mo- 
tion, and therefore cannot be entertained 
until the amendment now before the assem- 
bly is disposed of. As many as are in favor 
of the amendment — striking out the word 



152 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 1 49 

■II 

Handel and inserting Studebaker — say aye. 
. . . Those opposed, no. . . . The ayes 
have it. The amendment is adopted. The 
question now recurs on the amended mo- 
tion. That when we adjourn it shall be to 
meet in Studebaker Hall next Tuesday at 
7 130 p. m. Are you ready for the question ? 
(Undebatable.) 

Mr. Harter (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend by striking out 7:30 and 
inserting 8. 

Mr. Kane (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the motion by striking, out 
7:30 and inserting 8. Are you ready for 
the question? (Undebatable.) 

Mr. Scales (obtaining the floor) : The 
hour 7 130 is too early for those residing in 
the suburbs. I am in favor of 

The Chairman (interrupting) : The 
gentleman is not in order. In this case the 
question before the assembly — fixing the 
time and place — interrupts the undebatable 



§150 NEXT MEETING. 1 53 

motion — to adjourn — and cannot be de- 
bated. The question is on the amendment 
striking out 7 :30 and inserting 8. As many 
as favor the amendment say aye. . . . 
Those opposed, no. . . . The ayes have it. 
The amendment is adopted. The question 
now recurs on the amended motion. That 
when we adjourn it shall be to meet in 
Studebaker Hall next Tuesday at 8 p. m. 
As many as are in favor say aye. . . . 
Those opposed, no. ... The ayes have it. 
The motion is adopted. The question now 
recurs on the motion to adjourn. As many 
as favor adjournment say aye. . . ~ Those 
opposed, no. . . . The ayes have it. We 
are adjourned to meet in Studebaker Hall 
next Tuesday at 8 p. m. • 

NEXT MEETING. 

150* When the time for reassembling ar- 
rives the officers take their places and the 
chairman says, "The meeting will come to 
order. The secretary will read the minutes 
of the last meeting/ 1 After their correc- 
tion, if necessary, and approval, the order 
of business (144) should be followed, un- 



154 NEXT MEETING. § 150 

less at some time during the proceedings 
(when no other business is before the 
assembly) a motion is made to suspend the 
rules for the purpose of taking up some 
business out of its regular order. 

Let us suppose that immediately after 
the approval of the minutes of the last 
meeting Mr. Murphy desires to introduce 
new business without following the regular 
order of business. 

Mr. Murphy (rising) : Mr. Chairman. 

The Chairman: Mr. Murphy. 

Mr. Murphy : I move a suspension of 
the rules that interfere with action on the 
subject of capital punishment. 

Mr. Briggs (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to suspend the rules and take up the 
subject of capital punishment (this requires 
a two-thirds vote). Are you ready for the 
question? (Undebatable.) As many as 
are in favor of suspending the rules say 






§150 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 55 

aye. . . . Those opposed, no. . . . The 
ayes have it. The rules are suspended. 

Mr. Murphy (obtaining the floor) : I 
move the adoption of the resolution, Re- 
solved, That capital punishment should be 
abolished. 

Mr. Harding (rising) : I second the 
motion. 

The Chairman: It is moved and sec- 
onded to adopt the resolution : Resolved, 
That capital punishment should be abol- 
ished. Are you ready for the question? 

Mr. Scales (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend the resolution by inserting 
the words "is a relic of barbarism and" 
after the word punishment. 

Mr. Clancy (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman: It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the resolution by inserting 
the words "is a relic of barbarism and" 
after the word punishment. So that the 
resolution, if amended, will be : Resolved, 
That capital punishment is a relic of bar- 



156 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 150 

V 

barism and should be abolished. Are vou 
ready for the question? (Amendment de- 
batable.) As many as favor the amend- 
ment say aye. . . . Those opposed, no. 
. . . The noes have it. The amendment is 
rejected. The question now recurs on the 
resolution, Resolved, That capital punish- 
ment should be abolished. Are you ready 
for the question ? As many as are in favor 
say aye. . . . Those opposed, no. . . . 
The noes have it. The resolution is re- 
jected. 

Mr. Clancy (obtaining the floor) : I 
move the adoption of the resolution, Re- 
solved, That intemperance is the chief 
cause of hard times. 

Mr. Briggs (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

Mr. Newton (rising) : I rise to a parlia- 
mentary inquiry. 

The Chairman : The member will state 
his inquiry. 

Mr. Newton : Since the rules have been 
suspended for the purpose of taking up the 






§151 PRACTICAL LESSONS 1 57 

subject of capital punishment, would it be 
in order to act upon a resolution on intem- 
perance ? 

The Chairman : The chair would rule 
that when the rules are suspended it must 
be for a definite purpose, and that no busi- 
ness can be transacted except that specified 
in the motion for suspension. In this case 
the suspension was for the purpose of tak- 
ing up the subject of capital punishment. 
Therefore, no business of another nature is 
in order. If, however, the assembly desires 
to take up the subject of intemperance the 
rules may be again suspended for that pur- 
pose. If there is nothing further on the 
subject of capital punishment the assembly 
will resume the regular order of business. 

(Business proceeds accordingly.) 

151. The resolution, Resolved, That civil 
service examinations should be abolished, 
is before the assembly. 

Mr. Dolton (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend the resolution by inserting 
the words "as now conducted" after the 
word examinations. 



158 PRACTICAL LESSONS § 151 

Mr. Brandon (rising) : I second the 
motion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the resolution by inserting 
the words "as now conducted" after the 
word examinations. So that the resolution, 
if amended, will be : Resolved, That civil 
service examinations as now conducted 
should be abolished. Are you ready for the 
question ? 

Mr. Harter (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend the amendment by adding 
the words "are a nuisance and." 

Mr. Kane (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the amendment by adding 
the words "are a nuisance and." So that 
the question on the amendment, if amend- 
ed, will be on inserting the words "as now 
conducted are a nuisance and" after the 
word examinations. Are v you ready for the 
question? (Amendment to the amendment 
debatable.) 






§ 152 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 59 

152. Mr. Newton (obtaining the floor) : 
I move that the question be laid on the 
table. 

Mr. Hansell (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman: It is moved and sec- 
onded that the question be laid on the 
table. Are you ready for the question? 
(Undebatable.) As many as are in favor 
of tabling the question say aye. . . . Those 
opposed, no. ... The ayes have it. The 
question is laid on the table. 

Mr. Harter (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend the amendment by adding 
the 

The Chairman (interrupting) : The mo- 
tion to amend is not in order, because there 
is no' question before the assembly, the 
whole subject having gone to the table. 

Mr. Newton (obtaining the floor) : In 
making my motion to lay on the table I 
meant to lay the amendment to the amend- 
ment only on the table. After that motion 






l6o PRACTICAL LESSONS. 8 K2 

has been disposed of can we not take fur- 
ther action on the question? 

The Chairman : When an amendment, 
or an amendment to the amendment, is laid 
on the table the whole subject goes with it, 
for the reason that an amendment so closely 
adheres to the subject it is proposed to 
amend, that it would not be practical to go 
on with the question if there were amend- 
ments on the table liable to be called up at 
any time. So, also, if the main question is 
laid on the table, all amendments and vit- 
ally connected questions go with it. 

Mr. Dempsey : I rise to a parliamentary 
inquiry. 

The Chairman: The member will state 
his inquiry. 

Mr. Dempsey : After the resolution has 
gone to the table, how may the question be 
brought up? 

The Chairman : By a regular motion 
and vote to take the question from the 
table. 



§ 1 53 PRACTICAL LESSONS. l6l 

153. Mr. Dolton (obtaining the floor) : I 
move the resolution on civil service exam- 
inations be taken from the table. 

Mr. Scales (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to take the resolution on civil service 
examinations from the table. Are you 
ready for the question? (Undebatable.) 

Mr. Clancy v I rise to a point of order. 

The Chairman: The gentleman will 
state his point of order. 

Mr. Clancy: Since the resolution has 
gone to the table, it cannot be taken up at 
this session. 

The Chairman: In the absence of a 
special rule, or of custom of the assembly 
of such length of standing as to acquire 
the force of law, when a question is laid on 
the table it goes to the table only until such 
time, sooner or later, as the assembly de- 
cides to take it from the table. The chair 
rules the point not well taken. The ques- 



l62 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § x 53 

tion before the assembly is on taking the 
resolution on civil service examinations 
from the table. Are you ready for the 
question? (Undebatable.) As many as 
favor taking the resolution from the table 
say aye. . . . Those opposed, no. ... 
The aves have it. The resolution is taken 
from the table. The question now before 
you is on the amendment to the amend- 
ment, adding the words "are a nuisance 
and.' : Are you ready for the question? 
As many as favor the amendment to 
the amendment say aye . . . Those op- 
posed, no. ... . The noes have it. The 
amendment to the amendment is rejected. 
The question now recurs on the amend- 
ment, inserting the words "as now con- 
ducted" after the word examinations.' Are 
you ready for the question? As many as 
favor the amendment say aye. . . . Those 
opposed, no. . . . The ayes have it. The if 
amendment is adopted. The question now 
recurs on the amended resolution: Re- 
solved, That civil-service examinations as 
now conducted should be abolished; , Are 
you ready for the question? As many as 
are in favor say aye. . . . Those opposed, 



§ 154 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 163 

no. . . . The ayes have it. The amended 
resolution is adopted. 

154. The resolution, Resolved, That in- 
temperance is the chief cause of hard times, 
is before the assembly. 

Mr. Colvin (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend by striking out the word 
intemperance and inserting the word spec- 
ulation. 

Mr. Briggs (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the resolution by striking 
out the word intemperance and inserting 
the word speculation, so that the resolution, 
if amended, will be "Resolved, That specu- 
lation is the chief cause of hard times.' ; 
Are you ready for the question? (Amend- 
ment debatable). 

Mr. Peters : I rise to a point of order. 

The Chairman : The member will state 
his point of order. 



164 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 1 54 

Mr. Peters : The amendment is not ger- 
mane to the question, and therefore not in 
order. ( Undebatable ) . . 

• The Chairman : Whether the proposed 
amendment is or is not germane to the 
question, would depend largely upon the 
nature of the assembly, or the purpose for 
which the meeting was called. If the meet- 
ing was called for the purpose of discuss- 
ing the temperance question, or the resolu- 
tion was offered to show the effect of in- 
temperance, the amendment would not be 
germane ; but in an ordinary assembly, the 
resolution being offered for the purpose of 
ascertaining what is the cause of hard 
times, the amendment would be germane. 
The chair rules the point not well taken. 

Mr. Peters (without waiting for recog- 
nition) : I appeal from the decision of the 
chair. 

The Chairman : The decision of the chair 
is appealed from. The question before 
you is : "Shall the decision of the chair 
stand as the judgment of the assembly?" 
(Debatable). Note* As many as are in 



§155 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 65 

favor of sustaining the chair say aye. . . . 
Those opposed no. . . . The noes have it. 
The chair is overruled. The assembly de- 
cides the amendment not in order, and it 
is not in order (or) — the ayes have it. The 
chair is sustained. The assembly decides 
the amendment to be in order, and it is in 
order. (Business proceeds accordingly). 

*Note. — The student will notice that while a 
point of order is not debatable (unless debate is 
requested by the chair) an appeal from a decision 
of the chair on a point of order is debatable. 

155* The resolution, Resolved, That this 
assembly approve the action of the board of 
education in assigning doctors to duty in 
the public schools, is before the assembly. 

Mr. Ryan (obtaining the floor) : I move 
to amend by striking out the word approve 
and inserting the word disapprove. 

The Chairman : The amendment offered 
does not change the question before the 
assembly. The question to be decided by 
the original resolution, or by the resolu- 
tion, if so amended, is whether the as- 
sembly approves or does not approve of 



■ 



1 66 practical lessons. § 155 

the action of the board of education, which 
would be as effectually decided by a direct 
vote on the resolution. It is in fact an 
equivalent motion, having only the effect 
of reversing the vote. The chair decides 
the amendment not in order. The ques- 
tion is on the adoption or rejection of the 
resolution. Are you ready for the ques- 
tion. 

Mr. Hansell (obtaining the floor) : I be- 
lieve this to be an important question, and 
one which our constituents have a right to 
know how each member votes on this 
question. I move 

Mr. Newton (interrupting): I rise to a 
question of privilege. 

The Chairman : The member will state 
his question of privilege. 

Mr. Newton : This part of the room is 
uncomfortably cold, many of the members 
are obliged to wear their overcoats ; can- 
not something be done that will make the 
room more comfortable? 



k 



§ 156 practical lessons. 167 

The Chairman: The question of privil- 
ege is in order. The members are not ex- 
pected to endanger their health by sitting 
in a cold room. Will Mr. Brown kindly 
see the janitor and have more steam turned 
on, so that the room may be made comfort- 
able in all parts. . . . 

Mr. Hansell has the floor. 



156. Mr. Hansell (continuing): I move 
the vote on the resolution be taken by the 
yeas and nays. 

Mr. Drake (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded that the vote be by the yeas and 
nays (in the absence of a rule adopted by 
the assembly the yeas and nays are or- 
dered by one-fifth of the members voting). 
Are you ready for the question? (Unde- 
batable). As many as are in favor of 
ordering the yeas and nays say aye. . . . 
Those opposed no. . . . Since a sufficient 
number have voted in the affirmative the 
yeas and nays are ordered. The secretary 



l6S PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 157 

will call the roll. As each member's name 
is called he will answer ves or no. 

(After the calling of the roll is com- 
pleted the secretary announces to the chair- 
man the number voting in the affirmative : 
also the negative, and the chairman de- 
clares the result.) 

The Secretarv : Mr. Chairman. 

The Chairman : Mr. Secretarv. 

m 

' The Secretary : Total number of votes, 
20: affirmative votes. 11 : negative votes, 9. 

The Chairman: Since a majority has 
voted in the affirmative the resolution is 
adopted, (or if it is a motion requiring a 
two-thirds vote), since less than two-thirds 
have voted in the affirmative the motion is 
rejected. 

w 

157. Let us suppose some member has 
introduced a resolution, motion, report, or 
petition which some other member deems 
profitless, out of place, irrelevant to the ob- 
ject of the assembly, likely to create trouble 
or ill feeling, or for other reasons. Imme- 

■ 



§157 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 69 

diately after the question is stated by the 
chair, and before debate or other action is 
taken upon it any member may object to its 
consideration as follows: (*Note). 

*Note. — This rule applies only to business 
which introduces a subject for consideration, and 
not to any parliamentary question as to lay on 
the table, to amend, to postpone, to reconsider, etc. 

Mr. Scales (without waiting for recog- 
nition) : Mr. Chairman, I object to the 
consideration of the question. 

The Chairman : The question of consid- 
eration is raised. The question before you 
is: Shall the question be considered? (A 
two-thirds negative vote is required to pre- 
vent consideration). Are you ready for the 
question? (Undebatable). As many as 
favor consideration say aye. . . . Those 
opposed no. . . . Two-thirds having voted 
in the negative, the noes have it. The as- 
sembly refuses to consider; or, more than 
one-third having voted in the affirmative, 
the ayes have it. The question is before 
the assembly for consideration. (Business 
proceeds accordingly). 



m 

7 



170 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 158 

158. The resolution, Resolved, That science 
has benefited humanity more than litera- 
ture has, and that education should be con- 
ducted on scientific rather than literary 
lines. 

Mr. Rollins (obtaining the floor) : This 
is a question upon which we ought not act 
hastily. I would be in favor of referring 
it to a committee, giving the committee 
ample time to consider the question, and 
to offer such suggestions or amendments 
as may seem proper. I therefore move that 
the resolution be referred to a committee of 
five members, to be appointed by the chair, 
and that said committee be instructed to 
report at our next meeting. 

Mr. Little (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to refer the resolution to a commit- 
tee of five members, to be appointed by the 
chairman, and said committee be instructed 
to report at our next meeting. Are you 
ready for the question? (Debatable as to 
propriety of referring to a committee). 



§158 PRACTICAL LESSONS. !"]! 

Mr. Clancy (obtaining the floor) : I 
move the question be divided into three 
parts, the first part ending with the word 
committee, the second part ending with 
the word chairman. 

The Chairman : The question is not 
properly divisible for the reason the parts 
into which it is proposed to divide the 
question are not capable of standing by 
themselves, because if the assembly rejects 
the proposition to commit, the question as to 
how the committee shall be appointed, or 
when the committee shall report would 
fall of their own weight. The chair rules 
the motion to divide not hi order. The 
question is on the motion to commit. As 
many as are in favor of referring to a com- 
mittee say aye. . . . Those opposed no. . . . 
The noes have it. The resolution is still 

before you. 

•%. 

Mr. Dolton (obtaining the floor) : Since 
there are two distinct propositions in the 
resolution some of the members may be in 
favor of one and opposed to the other, and 
in order to get a fair expression of opinion 



r 



172 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 1 58 



I move the resolution be divided into two 
parts, the first part ending with the words 
literature has. 

Mr. Peters (rising) : I second the motion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and seconded 
to divide the resolution into two parts, the 
first part ending with the words "literature 
has." Are you ready for the question? 
(Debatable as to the propriety of dividing). 
As many as favor division say aye. . . . 
Those opposed no. . . . The ayes have it. 
The resolution is divided. The question now 
recurs on the first part, Resolved, That 
science has benefited humanity more than 
literature has. Are you ready for the ques- 
tion? (This question is now open to debate 
and amendment) . As many as favor the res- 
olution say aye. . . . Those opposed no. 
. . . The ayes have it; the resolution is 
adopted. The question now recurs on the 
second part, Resolved, That education 
should be conducted on scientific rather than 
literary lines. Are you ready for the ques- 
tion ? (This question is now open to debate 
and amendment). 



k 






§159 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 73 

As many as favor the resolution say aye. 
. . . Those opposed no. . . . The noes 
have it. The resolution is rejected. 

159. The resolution, Resolved, That com- 
petition is more favorable to business than 
co-operation is before the assembly. 

Mr. Burton (obtaining the floor) : I move 
to amend by substituting the following : Re- 
solved that the formation of so-called trusts 
is detrimental to business. 

Mr. Clute (rising) : I second the motion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and seconded 
to amend by substituting the following: 
Resolved, That the formation of so-called 
trusts is detrimental to business. Are you 
ready for the question ? 

Mr. Brown (obtaining the floor) : I move 
to amend the substitute by adding the words 
"and should be prohibited. " 

Mr. Kempf (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and seconded 
to amend the substitute by adding the words 



1 74 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 1 59 

"and should be prohibited/'' so that the pro- 
posed substitute, if amended will be, Re- 
solved, That the formation of so-called 
trusts is detrimental to business, and should 
be prohibited. Are you ready for the ques-. 
tion ? 

Mr. Harter (obtaining the floor) : I move 
to amend the amendment by adding the 
words "by law." 

The Chairman : Since the proposed sub- 
stitute is itself an amendment to the reso- 
lution, the proposition to amend by adding 
the words "and should be prohibited" is a 
secondary amendment. Therefore, the prop- 
osition to further amend by adding the 
words "bv law"' is a violation of the rule al- 
lowing but two amendments to a proposition 
to be pending at the same time. The chair 
rules the third amendment not in order. The 
question before the assembly is on adding 
the words "should be prohibited." As many 
as are in favor say aye. ... Those op- 
posed no. . . . The ayes have it. The 
amendment is adopted. The question now 
recurs on the amended substitute. Are you 
ready for the question? 



I - 



§159 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 75 

Mr. Harter (obtaining the floor) : I move 
to amend by adding the words "by law.' 3 

Mr. Harding (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman: It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the substitute by adding the 
words "by law,' J so that the substitute if 
amended will be, Resolved, That the forma- 
tion of so-called trusts is detrimental to 
business and should be prohibited by law. 
Are you ready for the question ? As many 
as favor the amendment say aye . . . Those 
oposed no. . . . The ayes have it. The 
substitute is amended. 

■ 

The question now recurs on the amended 
substitute, Resolved, That the formation of 
so-called trusts is detrimental to business 
and should be prohibited by law. Are you 
ready for the question? As many as favor 
the substitute say aye. ... Those opposed 
no. . . . The ayes have it. The substitute 
is adopted. The question now recurs on the 
substituted resolution. Are you ready for 
the question ? 



176 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § l6o 

Mr. Kane : I rise to a parliamentary in- 
quiry. 

The Chairman : The member will state 
his inquiry. 

Mr. Kane : Have we not already decided 
this question by our last vote on the substi- 
tute? 

The Chairman : The question decided by 
the last vote was whether the assembly pre- 
ferred the original resolution, or the resolu- 
tion offered as a substitute. The vote being 
in the affirmative, the substituted resolution 
takes the place of the original resolution 
and becomes the resolution before the as- 
sembly for adoption or rejection, like any 
other amended proposition. The question 
is on the adoption or rejection of the substi- 
tuted resolution. As many as are in favor 
say aye. . . . Those opposed no. . . . 
The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. 

* 

160. The resolution, Resolved, That 
school examinations should be abolished, is 
before the assembly. 



§ l6o PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 77 

Mr. Scales (obtaining the floor) : I move 
to. amend by inserting the words "as tests 
for promotion'' after the word examinations. 

Mr. Brandon (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the resolution by inserting 
the words "as tests for promotion'' after the 
word examinations, so that the resolution, if 
amended, will be, Resolved, That school ex- 
aminations as tests for promotion should be 
abolished. Are you ready for the question ? 

I Mr. Harding (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend the amendment by adding 
the words "are injurious to children and." 

Mr. Clancy (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and seconded 
to amend the amendment by adding the 4 
words "are injurious to children and," so 
jthat the question on the amendment, if 
jamended, will be on inserting the words "as 
tests for promotion are injurious to chil- 



II 



178 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 160 

dren and," after the word examinations. 
Are you ready for the question ? 

Mr. Kane : I rise to a question of privil- 
ege. 

The Chairman: The member will state 
his question of privilege. 

Mr. Kane: It is worse than useless foi 
this assembly to waste its time in discuss 
ing such nonsensical amendments 

31 

The Chairman (interrupting) : Th 
speaker is not speaking to a question o 
privilege. If he wishes to discuss the ques r 
tion he must obtain the floor in the usua 
way. 

Mr. Scales (obtaining the floor) : I mov 
the previous question. 

Mr. Newton (rising) : I second the m<f| 
tion. a 

The Chairman : The previous question fj 
moved and seconded (this requires a tw< 
thirds vote). The question before you 
"shall the vote on the pending questions Ijj 
now taken?" Are you ready for the quer 



^ 



8 l6o PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 79 

tion? (Undebatable). As many as are in 
favor of ordering the previous question say 
aye Those opposed no. . . . Two- 
thirds having voted in the affirmative the 
previous question is ordered. The question 
now recurs on the amendment to the amend- 
ment, adding the words "are injurious to 
children and." As many as favor the 
amendment to the amendment say aye. 
. . . Those opposed no. . . . The ayes 
have it. The amendment is amended. 
The question now recurs on the amended 
amendment, inserting the words "as tests 
for promotion are injurious to children 
| and/' after the word examinations. Are 
you ready for the question? (Undebatable). 

; Mr. Brown (obtaining the floor) : I am 
opposed to the amendment. I believe 

The Chairman (interrupting) : The gen- 

- 

tleman is not in order. After the previous 
: question is ordered no debate, amendment 
or further compilation of motions is in 
order. The question is on the amended 
amendment. As many as favor the amend- 
ment say aye. . . . Those opposed no. . . . 



l8o PRACTICAL LESSONS. § l6l 

The ayes have it. The amended amendment 
is adopted. The question now recurs on the 
amended resolution, Resolved, That school 
examinations as tests for promotion are in- 
jurious to children and should be abolished. 
Are you ready for the question ? As many 
as favor the amended resolution say aye. . . 
Those opposed no. . . . The ayes have it. 
The resolution is adopted. 

161. The resolution on school examina- 
tions (Sec. 160) is before the assembly and 
debate is being had on the amendment in- 
serting the words "as tests for promotion' 5 
after the words examinations. 

Mr. Colvin (obtaining the floor) : I move 
the previous question on the amendment. 

Mr. Kempf (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : The previous question is 
moved and seconded on the amendment. 
(This requires a two-thirds vote). The 
question before you is "Shall the vote on 
the amendment be now taken?" (Undebata- 
ble). As many as favor ordering the pre-. 



§ l6l PRACTICAL LESSONS. l8l 

vious question on the amendment say aye. 
. . . Those opposed no. . . . The ayes 
have it. The previous question is ordered 
on the amendment. The question now re- 
curs on the amendment inserting the words 
"as tests for promotion' 5 after the word ex- 
aminations. As many as favor the amend- 
ment say aye. . . . Those opposed no. . . . 
The ayes have it. The amendment is 
adopted. The question now recurs on the 
amended resolution, Resolved, That school 
examinations as tests for promotion should 
be abolished. Are you ready for the ques- 
tion? 

Mr. Murphy (obtaining the floor) : I am 
in favor of the resolution as amended. Still, 
it seems to me the resolution might be made 
stronger by giving a reason for such action. 
I move to amend by inserting the words 
"are injurious to children and" after the 
word promotion. . 

Mr. Harding : I rise to a point of order. 

• The Chairman : The member will state 
his point of order. 



l82 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 162 

1 

Mr. Harding : The gentleman is attempt- 
ing to. debate and amend the resolution after 
the previous question is ordered. 

The Chairman : In this case the pre- 
vious question was limited to the amend- 
ment. After the amendment was voted on 
the previous question was exhausted and 
the resolution is again open to debate and 
amendment. The chair decides the point of 
order not well taken. 

(Business proceeds accordingly). 

162. Let us suppose that after Mr. Col- 
vin's resolution (Sec. 148) has been offered 
and before it was seconded, he may for some 
reason wish to withdraw it. (Procedure 
would be as follows) : 

Mr. Colvin : I withdraw the resolution. 

The Chairman : The resolution is with- 
drawn. (If the resolution has been sec- 
onded procedure wouid be as follows). 

Mr. Colvin (rising) : With my second's 
consent I withdraw the resolution. 

The Chairman : Does the second consent r 



62 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 83 



O 



Mr. Little (rising) : I consent. 

The Chairman : The resolution is with- 
drawn. 

(If the resolution had been stated to the 
assembly, it would then be the property of 
the assembly and could only be withdrawn 
by unanimous consent or by a regular mo- 
tion and vote granting leave to withdraw. 

In such case procedure would be). • 
. 
Mr. Colvin (rising) : I desire to withdraw 
the resolution. 

The Chairman : The mover desires to 
withdraw the resolution. Is there any ob- 
jection? If there is no objection the chair- 
man declares the resolution • withdrawn, 
or 

Mr. Kempf (rising) : I object. 

Mr. Murphy (obtaining the floor) : I 
move leave be granted to withdraw the res- 
olution. 

Mr. Little (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 






184 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 163 

The Chairman : It is moved and seconded 
that leave be granted to withdraw the reso- 
lution. Are you ready for the question? 
(Undebatable). As many as are in favor of 
granting leave to withdraw say aye. . . . 
Those opposed no. . . . The ayes have it. 
The resolution is withdrawn; or the noes 
have it. The assembly refuses to allow the 
withdrawal of the resolution. (Business 
proceeds acordingly). 

163. The resolution on Capital Punish- 
ment (Sec. 150) was rejected. Mr. Han- 
sell (who voted in the negative) has for 
some reason changed his mind and wishes to 
bring the resolution before the assembly. 

Mr. Hansell (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to reconsider the vote on the resolu- 
tion on capital punishment. 

Mr. Briggs (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : Did Mr. Hansell vote 
with the prevailing side ? 

» Mr. Hansell (rising) : I voted on the neg- 
ative. 









§ 163 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 85 

' The Chairman : It is moved and seconded 
to reconsider the vote on the resolution on 
capital punishment. Are you ready for the 
question? (Opens to debate the question 
sought to be reconsidered). As many as fa- 
vor reconsideration say aye. . . . Those op- . 
posed no. . . . The ayes have it. The vote 
is reconsidered. The resolution, Resolved, 
That capital punishment should be abolished 
is before you. Are you ready for the ques- 
tion ? 

Mr. Murphy (obtaining the floor) : When 
the vote on the amendment inserting the 
words "is a relic of barbarism" was before 
the assembly I voted on the prevailing side. 
I now desire to set myself right on this 
question. I therefore move to reconsider 
the vote on the amendment. 

Mr. Newton (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to reconsider the vote on the amend- 
ment. Are you ready for the question? 
(Debatable). As many as are in favor of 
reconsidering the vote on the amendment 



l86 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 164 

say aye . . . Those opposed no. . . . The 
ayes have it. The vote on the amendment is 
reconsidered. The question now before you 
is on the amendment inserting the words 
"is a relic of barbarism" after the word pun- 
ishment. Are you ready for the question? 
(Debatable). As many as are in favor of 
the amendment say aye. . . . Those op- 
posed no. . . . The ayes have it.- The 
amendment is adopted. The question now 
recurs on the amended resolution, Resolved, 
That capital punishment is a relic af barbar- 
ism and should be abolished. Are you ready 
for the question ? As many as are in favor 
say aye . . . Those opposed no. . . . The 
ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. 

164. The following resolution is before 
the assembly : 

Resolved, That the French revolution 
was due to the revolutionary spirit of the 
times. 

Mr. Murphy (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend the resolution by inserting 
the words "to an overtaxed peasantry, to 
bad government and" after the word due. 



!! 



§ 164 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 87 

Mr. Newton (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the resolution by inserting 
the words "to an overtaxed peasantry, to 
bad government and" after the word due, 
so that the resolution, if amended, will be 
Resolved, That the French revolution was 
due to an overtaxed peasantry, to bad gov- 
ernment and to the revolutionary spirit of 
the times. Are you ready for the question ? 

Mr. Lissenden (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend the amendment by striking 
out the words "to an overtaxed peasantry. " 

Mr. Dolton (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the amendment by striking 
out the words "to an overtaxed peasantry/' 
so that the question on the amendment, if 
amended, will be on inserting the words "to 
bad government and.'' Are you ready for 
the question ? As many as favor the amend- 
ment to the amendment say aye. . . . Those 
opposed no. . . . The ayes have it. The 



1 88 PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 165 

amendment is amended. The question now 
recurs on the amended amendment, insert- 
ing the words "to bad government, and." 
Are you ready for the question? As many 
as favor the amendment say aye. . . . Those 
opposed no. . . . The ayes have it. The 
amendment is adopted. The question now 
recurs on the amended resolution, Re- 
solved, That the French revolution. was due 
to bad government and to the revolutionary 
spirit of the times. 71 Are you ready for the 
question ? As many as favor the resolution 
say aye. . . . Those opposed no. . . . The 
ayes have it. The amended resolution is 
adopted. 

ANOTHER EXAMPLE. 

165. The following resolution is before 
the assembly : 

Resolved^ That the French revolution was 
due to an overtaxed peasantry, to bad gov- 
ernment and to the revolutionary spirit of 
the times. 

Mjr. Colvin (obtaining the floor) : I move 
to amend the resolution by striking out the 



§ 1 65 PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1 89 

words "to an overtaxed peasantry, to bad 
government and." 

Mr. Lessenden (rising) : I second the 
motion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the resolution by striking 
out the words "to an overtaxed peasantry, 
to bad government and," so that the resolu- 
tion, if amended, will be : Resolved, That 
the French revolution was due to the revo- 
lutionary spirit of the times. Are you ready 
for the question? 

Mr. Hansell (obtaining the floor) : I 
move to amend the amendment by striking 
out the words "to bad government and." 

Mr. Harding (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded to amend the amendment by striking 
out the words "to bad government and." So 
that the question on the amendment, if 
amended, will be on striking out the words 
"to an overtaxed peasantry." Are you ready 
for the question ? As many as are in favor 



19O PRACTICAL LESSONS. § 1 65 

of the amendment to the amendment say 
aye. . . . Those opposed no. . . . The 
ayes have it. The amendment is amended. 
The question now recurs on the amended 
amendment, striking out the words "to an 
overtaxed peasantry.' 1 Are you ready for 
the question? As many as favor the 
amendment say aye. . . . Those opposed 
no. . . . The ayes have it. The resolution 
is amended. The question now recurs on the 
amended resolution, Resolved, That the 
French revolution was due to bad govern- 
ment and to the revolutionary spirit of the 
times. Are you ready for the question t 

Mr. Mercer : I rise to a parliamentary in- 
quiry. 

The Chairman : The member will state 
his inquiry. 

Mr. Mercer: I do not fully understand 
the amended resolution, as stated by the 
chair. Will the chair kindly explain the 
effect of the votes on the amendment to 
the amendment, and on the amendment? 



§ l6$ PRACTICAL LESSONS. I9I 

The Chairman : When the original reso- 
lution was before the assembly it was 
moved to amend the resolution by striking 
out certain words from the resolution. It 
was then moved to amend the amendment 
by striking out certain words from the 
proposed amendment. The amendment to 
the amendment was adopted. In other 
words, the assembly, by adopting the 
amendment to the amendment, has decided 
these words shall not be struck out of the 
resolution ;• they, therefore, remain a part 
of the original resolution. 

By adopting the amended amendment the 
assembly has decided what words shall be 
struck out of the resolution. Therefore 
the resolution, as amended, is "Resolved, 
That the French Revolution was due to bad 
government and to the revolutionary spirit 
of the times. As many as favor the 
amended resolution say aye. . . . Those 
opposed no. . . . The ayes have it. The 
amended resolution is adopted. 

Mr. Dolton (obtaining the floor) : I 
move we adjourn. 



I92 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. § 1 66 

Mr. Mercer (rising) : I second the mo- 
tion. 

The Chairman : It is moved and sec- 
onded that we adjourn. Are you ready for 
the question? (Undebatable). As many 
as favor adjournment say aye. . . . Those 
opposed no. . . . The ayes have it. We 
are adjourned. 

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 

166. In closing it may be said that a 
work of this kind would hardly be complete 
unless it offered a few suggestions for 
those who desire to take an active part in 
the proceedings or to preside over a deliber- 
ative assembly. 

Each member of an assembly should bear 
in mind that the rights of the individual 
members are based on the fact of the equal- 
ity of the members, and by reason of said 
right each and every member is entitled to 
the same courteous attention while partici- 
pating in debate or other proceedings of 
the assembly. Therefore, as every member 
has the right, it is the duty of the pre- 



§ 167 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. I93 

siding officer to insist that every other 
member so conduct himself that this right 
may be effectual, and while enforcing the 
rules in preserving order or ruling on such 
questions as may necessarily arise in the 
course of proceedings, he should be care- 
ful not to wound the sensibilities of any 
member, and to so perform the duties of 
his office as to abstain from even the ap- 
pearance of partisanship. Such action on 
the part of the chairman shows proper cour- 
tesy to the members and will do much to 
inspire confidence in the timid members, 
and to make them more free to exercise 
their right to express their views in debate, 
or to offer such suggestions or amendments 
as they may think proper. 

167. While it is the first duty of a presid- 
ing officer to observe the will of the assem- 
bly it is important that he hold the members 
as nearly as possible to the business before 
them by confining debate to its proper 
channel, and by not allowing members to 
filibuster by making unnecessary motions 
jK'or the purpose of wasting time, causing 
delay, or preventing action. It has come 



194 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. § 1 67 

to be a common practice among members 
of deliberative as well as legislative assem- 
blies to hinder the transaction of business 
by making use of even proper parlia- 
mentary motions for the sole purpose of 
delaying action of the assembly, and when 
such action is leading to confusion the 
chair would be justified in interfering. 

By unanimous consent many things may 
be done that will save time — for example, 
in matters of trifling import or in the or- 
dinary routine of business the chair often! 
assumes a motion to be seconded and putsi 
it without waiting for a formal second, and 
since, by unanimous consent, an assembly 
may do anything which is competent for the 
assembly to do, he may announce that "if 
there is no objection such will be considered 
the action of the assembly/' but this .is 
understood to be only by unanimous conj 
sent, since such proceeding may be stoppeq 
by some member objecting. Therefore} 
where there are members who are continuj 
ally objecting, or raising points of orderji 
the safest course is to proceed strictly ac- 
cording to the forms of parliamentary law 



§ l68 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. I95 

Members who are not well* informed in 
the rules of procedure frequently make 
motions to effect purposes for which other 
motions would be more suitable, and when 
such motions are made the chairman may, 
with propriety, suggest how the desired ob- 
ject may be accomplished — for example, 
"if it be moved that a certain question be 
laid on the table until a certain time/' the 
chair might suggest that the proper motion 
is "to postpone to that time," or if it be 
moved to "reconsider the vote by which 
some question had been laid on the table," 
he might suggest that it be taken from the 
table. 

168. A judicious presiding officer will 
remember there are many things, such as 
inconsistency, incompatibility, or. unconsti- 
tutionality of proposed action, which are for 
the assembly to decide, and while he may 
offer suggestions in reference to the sub- 
ject, he should not attempt to dictate or 
to usurp the rights of the assembly by sup- 
pressing such action as being out of order, 
for in all such cases the will of the ma- 
jority is the supreme power and the de- 



I96 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. § 1 68 

cision of the chair may be promptly over- 
ruled by the assembly. In short, it may 
be said that while it is easy to state these 
rules in words, it is often difficult either 
to enforce them or to rule upon them in 
practice ; therefore the chairman should 
have a good temper, much firmness, great 
tact, and, above all, common sense as well 
as ability to make good use of these gifts, 
because the larger the assembly the -more 
complicated the business before it, the more 
imperative it is that the presiding officer 
be equal to the occasion. 







INDEX. 

Section. 

Adjourn — To fix the time or place 81, 82 

When in order 82 

When debatable 82 

When undebatable 81, 82 

When amendable 82 

When a privileged motion 81 

When a principal motion 82 

Must remain a qualified motion 118 

Illustration 149 

Adjournment — Motion for 83 to 86 

When debatable 84 

When it would dissolve 84 

When not in order 83 

When renewable 83 

Effect of on unfinished business 85, 86 

Illustration 149, 165 

Amendment — Purpose of 106 

Motions not subject to 74 

Must be germane 106, 154 

May change the meaning 106 

Forms of 107 

Acceptance of by mover of motion. 109 

By inserting the word "not" 108 

By times and sums 133 

Of Constitution, By-laws, etc 9, 11 1 

Giving notice of intention to offer. . . .110 

Debate on 109 

By stiking out or inserting words 113 

Effect of action 114, 115, 116 



2 INDEX. 

Section. 

By striking out and inserting words 117 

Effect of action .. ... 117 

By striking out and inserting paragraphs. 

... 119 to 121 

Effect of action 119 

When divisible Note to 118 

To different parts of proposition not al- 
lowed .110 

By substitution 121, 141, 142, 143 

Reconsideration of an 139 

Amendment of an % . 1 12 

Votes necessary to decide. . 112 

Illustration 151 153, 159, 160 

Appeal — Obj ect of 124 

Form of making 124 

When not in order 125 

When debatable 124 

How acted upon 125 

Effect of vote on .125 

Effect of vote to table 95b, 125 

When tabled sustains the chair 125 

Illustration .154 

Assembly — Definition of 3 

Ballot — Voting by 47 

How counted 48 

Blanks — How filled 133 

Business — Order of 144 

Introduction of 8, 24 

Illustration 147 

When before the assembly 26, 27 

That may interrupt a speaker 78 

How withdrawn .26, 37 



INDEX. * 3 

Section. 

By-Laivs — What they should contain n 

How amended 1 1, 1 1 1 

Cannot be suspended Note to 131 

Chairman — Selection of 7 

Duties of 15 

Addressing the 41 

When he may vote 50, 51 

Right to debate ' 18, 40 

Of a committee, who is 59 

Of a committee of the whole. . 67 

Classification of Motions 72 

Close or Limit Debate. 98 

Commit, or Re-Commit — Purpose of.... 104, 105 

When in order 105 

How amended 105 

How far debatable . . 105 

Effect of action. 105 

Illustration * 158 

Committees — Nature and purpose of 54 to 62 

Of whom, they should consist 57, 60 

How appointed 58 

Chairman of, who is 59 

Authority of 62 

Reports of 63 

When discharged 65 

Minority report of 66 

On credentials 13 

On conference 55 

Executive 54 

k Standing .. 54 

Special 54 



4 INDEX. 

Section 
Ex-officio members 61 

Quorum of 45 

Committee of the Whole — Purpose of 67 

How formed 67 

What action is in order 69 

Action not final 68 

How dissolved 70 

Report of 70 

Constitution — What it should contain 10 

How amended 10, 11 

Cannot be suspended Note to- 131 

Courtesies — Due the assembly 18 

Due the speaker 41, 44 

Due the members 28, 39, 59, 169 

Due auxiliary bodies 55 

In committtee 27, 59, 66 

In debate 27, 39, 41, 42 

Debate — Definition of 39 

Getting the floor for 23, 39 

What precedes 2^, 39 

Subj ect of '. . 40 

Should be confined to the question.. ..40, 170 

Courtesies in 28, 39, 41, 42 

To close or limit 98 

Right of presiding officer to participate. 18, 40 
When closed 43 

Division of a Question — Mption for.Note.n8, 128 

How specified 129 

How amended 128 

Effect of action 129 

Illustration . 158 



INDEX. 5 

Section. 

Doubting a Vote— Form of 49 

How verified 49 

Election of Officers— Form of 5, 7, 47, 48 

What ballots are to be counted 48 

Not open to reconsideration 48, 136, 138 

Illustration 145, 146 

Equivalent Motions — Definition of 71, 155 

Floor — How to obtain 23 

Illustration 146, 147 

When a member may yield 44 

Incidental Motions^-Definition of 123 

Lay on the Table — Purpose of 94 

Precedence of 95 

Effect of affirmative vote on 94 

Exceptions 95 

Applies to previous question.... 95, 97 

Condition of question when called up.... 96 

Illustration 152, 153 

Main Question — Definition of 27 

When in possession of the assembly.25, 26, 27 
Chairman may require that it be in writ- 
ing 27 

Majority Vote — What is meant by 52 

Miscellaneous Motions — Definition of .......132 

Minority Reports — How acted upon 66 

Meeting and Session — Definition of 29, 30 

Minutes — Definition of 21 

Errors in, how corrected. 21, 22 

Modification of a Motion 26 

Motions — Order of precedence 73 

How seconded 25, 26 

Form of cannot be changed 118 



6 INDEX. 

Section. 

How stated to the assembly ly 

That cannot be amended 74 

That cannot be debated 75 

That do not require to be seconded 76 

That require a two-thirds vote yy 

When in possession of the assembly. 25, 26, 27 
To close or limit debate 98 

Nominations — How treated. 6, 7, 8, 133 

When they may be closed. 7 

How re-opened 7- 

A second not required 6 

When more than one is made 8 

Not an essential preliminary to voting. ... 6 
Illustrations 145, 146 

Objection to Consideration — When in order.. 126 

Form of raising 127 

How far it applies 126 

Does not require to be seconded 126 

Does not require recognition 127 

May interrupt a speaker 126 

Effect of decision on 127 

Illustration 157 

Order — Points of 32 

Their precedence 32 

Manner of raising ^3 f 34 

Chair may ask advice before deciding. ... 34 

Of business 144 

Of motions y^ 

Organization — How effected 4 to 14 

Temporary 5, 6, 7, 8 

• Permanent 9, 10, 11, 12 

Of conventions -. 13, 14 






INDEX. 7 

Section. 

Orders of the Day— Definition of 89 

How made 90 

How called up 91 

A second not required %, 92 

Effect of on question under considera- 
tion 90, 9i 

When not privileged 92 

Organic Law — What is 2, 9 

Its precedence 2 

Parliamentary Rules — Origin of 1 

Need of 2 

Cannot be suspended Note. 131 

Parliamentary Inquiries — Nature of 35 

Form of making 36 

Rank of 35 

Illustration 150, 152, 159, 165 

Paragraph by Paragraph — In amending by... 

1 19, 120, 121 

Postpone to a Certain Time — Object of 102 

How amended 103 

How far debatable 103 

How taken up .91, 103 

Postpone Indefinitely — Motion for 122 

Cannot be amended 122 

Opens to debate the entire question 122 

Precedence — Definition of 3 

Of motions Note . 73 

Of rules 2 

Presiding Officer — Duties of 15, 166, 167 

Characteristics of 7 168 

How elected 7 



8 INDEX. 

Section. 
Previous Question — Definition of . ... .... .97, 98 

How far applicable 100 

Effect of vote on 99 

May be moved on pending question only.101 

How affected by adjournment 101 

Two-third vote required to order 97 

What action may interfere with 99 

Illustration 160, 161 

Point of Order — Object of raising. .......... 32 

Precedence of 32 

How made ^ 

Decision on subject to an appeal S3 

Chair may ask advice before deeming. ... 34 

Illustrations . .154, 161 

Practical Lessons 145 to 165 

Practical Suggestions 166, 167, 168 

Privileged Motions — Definition of ...... 80 

What questions may interfere Note. 80 

Questions — Definition of 3 

When before the assembly... 26, 27 

How stated to the assembly 17 

Questions of Privilege — Definition of 87 

Precedence of 87 

Manner of raising * 88 

May interrupt a member speaking 87 

Need not be decided at once 88 

Effect of decision on. 88 

Illustrations 155, 160 

Questions Which Do Not Require Recognition 79 

Quorum—What constitutes 45 

How determined 45> 46 

When not required .45, 46 






INDEX. 9 

Section. 

Effect of no quorum 46 

Who may raise question of 46 

Of a committee, what is 45 

Reading of Papers — Rights of members 134 

What is necessary if objected to 134 

Re-Commit — [See commit] 104 

Reconsideration — Motion for . 135 

When in order 135, 136 

Cannot be raised at any time during ses- 
sion .136 

Who may move . .. .......136 

On reconsidering a vote taken by ballot. . 48 

How far debatable 135 

Actions that cannot be reconsidered. .... .138 

Need not be decided at once 137 

When its effect terminates 137 

Of an amendment, method of 139 

Effect of vote on 137 

How for previous question applies 139 

When it may interrupt a member speak- 
ing .135 

Vote necessary to adopt 136 

Illustration ..163 

Rescind — Purpose of 140 

How far debatable. 140 

Vote necessary to 140 

Cannot be reconsidered 140 

Renewal of a Motion — When in order .... 38 

Reports of Committees — How made 63 

How acted upon , 63, 64 

Of the minority, how acted upon 66 



IO INDEX. 

Section. 
Their place in the order of business. .54, 144 

When no time is fixed for 64 

-Rules — Need of 2 

Modification of 2 

Standing rules . 12 

Special rules 2 

In absence of, what governs 2 

Secretary — Duties of 19, 20 

Qualifications necessary 20 

How elected 8 

Special Meetings — Definition of 31 

How called 31 

What business may be transacted 31 

Subsidiary Motions — Definition of 93 

Session — Definition of 30 

Substitute— Definition of 141, 142, 143 

Examples of 142 

Effect of action on 143 

Illustration 159 

Suspension of the Rules — Object of 130 

Form of moving 131 

When renewable 131 

Rules not subject to Note. 131 

Illustration 150 

Terms — Definition of 3 

Voting — Methods of . . . . 47 

When disputed, how verified . .. 49 

When a member may change his vote. ... 50 

When the chairman may vote. 50 

By the yeas and nays 43, 47, 51 

What is meant by a majority vote 52 

Not obligatory unless by special rule 52 



INDEX. II 

Section. 

Silent vote .45, 52, 136 

What votes must be counted 48 

Nominations not an essential preliminary 

to 6 

By proxy 53 

Withdrawal of a Motion 37 

Illustration 162 

Yeas and Nays — Vote by 47, 51 

How ordered 47 

Illustration 156 

Yielding the Floor 44 



MAY 



z - - - 



r 



MAY 8 1902 



/ 



<AA7 7i5 
37 S 



1 



J 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 





029 809 755 2 



